


A Blade In Too Deep

by Supercheesegirl



Series: A Blade In Too Deep [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s), Slow Burn, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:07:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 98,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23573596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Supercheesegirl/pseuds/Supercheesegirl
Summary: “I am scaring you?” Genji huffs a small laugh. She can see him shaking. “The only woman since my transformation to ever welcome my company and actually wish to be with me intimately is threatening to leave me forever, and you’re afraid?”Elaina’s arms curl inwardly. In fear, her body tries to make itself seem smaller. “Wha-?”“I can’t accept her love for me because I cannot love myself. I try to manipulate her into seeking better company and two weeks later she asks to share my bed?!” Genji brings his hands to the sides of his helmet and violently pulls it off, throwing it aside. Elaina takes another step back. “Is that what you want to hear?!”Genji’s face, now free of the helmet, is struck with sickening angst. His golden eyes ripple with moisture. “Selfish? Yes. Very. I am so very afraid of being alone again, but too proud to accept that I need your company.” He holds his hand over his eyes, fighting his own tears.The two halves are clashing right in front of her. Elaina approaches him, reaching out.
Relationships: Genji Shimada/Original Female Character(s)
Series: A Blade In Too Deep [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1696864
Comments: 7
Kudos: 20





	1. Gibraltar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

_“Conflict. As the world teetered on the brink of anarchy, a new hope arose. An elite international task force, charged with ending the war, and restoring liberty to all nations. Overwatch; soldiers, scientists, adventurers, oddities. Guardians who secured global peace for a generation. Under its steadfast protection, the world recovered. And today, though its watch has ended, its soaring ideals of freedom and equality will never be forgotten.”_

Elaina sits alone, headphones on, riding a hypertrain across the nation to the capital. The Overwatch memorial speech loud in her ears to remind her why she’s left a stable home.

Washington DC is now the only location in the U.S. that allows passage outside the country. That being said, if one wished to leave, the process could easily take days to accomplish. Granted most people did not want to leave the U.S. as it was one of the safest places in the world from the omnic crisis, but Elaina had her sights on just that conflict.

Used to an overcast Seattle, the hot Mediterrainian weather was something she wasn’t looking forward to. Always wearing a long sleeve shirt, she would be forced to do laundry every other day, sweating through the fabric in minutes.

Her home city of Seattle is a wet place, cold and dreary. Growing up there, Elaina had developed a natural state of sulkiness as her default mood. The city had its bright spots though; the people were some of the nicest, or so she has heard, and the city sported some of the best industries, ranging from the top digital life simulation to best synthetic production of coffee in the world.

Elaina grew up spending much of her time alone. People, including her parents, assumed that she just preferred it that way, but in truth, she had never found the puzzle that her piece fit into. 

Her time in Overwatch had been the closest she had come to feeling welcome anywhere. 

Originally, Elaina had hoped to pursue a medical career as an Obstetrician but ran out of funds to push her anywhere past being just a nurse. Hard work, late nights, and keeping the word “no” from her vocabulary had granted her the opportunity to intern with some of the leading medical professionals in the world at Overwatch.

After the organization had been disbanded, Elaina returned home a completely different person, feeling more out of place than ever. 

Her departure from Overwatch had come with many mixed emotions. The internship had scarred her greatly, too much to fix, and it warped her sense of self. But now she claws her way back after a left over signal beacon recalled willing agents, feeling it’s the only place people won’t look at her as an oddity.

The beacon did not actually belong to her. She had stolen it during the fall from her mentor, hoping to seal the woman’s fate as the compound was forcibly disbanded.

Elaina looks out the window into the dark abyss of night. What would they say at her arrival? Does anyone even know who she is?

The air-city just outside of DC that monitors all international flights is just as horrible as everyone says. The process requires multiple forms of ID, blood sample, and even conference with a relative or representative proving your identity.

Even after all the security, Elaina waits eight hours for the flight she needs to take to Spain. She hasn’t flown since the disbandment five years ago, and it’s dredging up more unwanted memories.

After the long flight of ten hours from DC to Malaga, Spain and the three hours of getting from there to Gibraltar, the Watchpoint looms above her. Headquarters for Overwatch, it’s a twenty minute shuttle drive from the city of Gibraltar, up the steep coast to the compound at the top of the mountain on the island’s south side.

The shuttle driver luckily does not ask her any questions when she requests a trip up there. A few others travel on the bus with her, none that she recognizes of course.

The ride passes without consequence and Elaina is surprised to see that the others she had been riding with seem to know exactly where they need to go upon leaving the shuttle, leaving her standing alone. The signal beacon activated about two weeks ago so it's not like others hadn't already made their way to rejoin.

The salty air of the ocean still permeates the area and it brings a small smile to her lips. She takes another deep breath of it before focusing her attention back on the compound.

Elaina looks about the place, its premises a blur in her memory. As an intern, she never had free roam of the place, and was always with another for escort. 

Terribly unsure how to proceed, she walks up to the main entrance of the Watchpoint. 

“What business have you here, ma’am?” The guard at the door asks her. He looks upon her suspiciously, undoubtedly because of the nervous look on her face. Despite being of height with her 5’5”, the width of his chest and rigidity of his legs gave him an intimidating stance.

Elaina had already thought out this interaction in the many horrible hours she had been given to think before arriving.

“I have been summoned,” she tells the man, trying to look doubtless in her eye contact with him.

His dark brown eyes narrow. “Got any proof of this?”

“Of course I do not. Intel would be considered felonious.”

The man stares her down a few moments more before radioing in her arrival.

After shifting uncomfortably in front of the compound for a few minutes, the guard waves her to follow him in. Once inside, he turns to her.

“I’m going to have to search you,” the man warns her.

Elaina shrugs, pulls down her shirt sleeve, and hands him her duffle bag.

In addition to searching her bag, he gives her an aggressive pat down. The search isn’t nearly as discomforting as the ones back in the DC aircity, so she tolerates him without complaint.

Satisfied with her lack of dangerous belongings, the two of them ride an elevator to the upper floor of the compound.

Even in the elevator the man stands erect, hands clasped tight behind his back. Elaina tries not to look at him, knowing his almost hostile energy will feed her anxiety.

The elevator lets them out onto the launch pad, a large open platform where the jets shuttling active agents would take off. This place is familiar to her. She looks out past the cliff’s edge to the ocean again. Crashing waves and birds sing in the air. 

Her and her armed escort hop on a small vehicle resembling a golf cart and zip through the compound.

The different areas all flash past her; launch pad, runway, huge hanger gate, the hanger itself, courtyard, and finally plaza that rests before the main office. 

Elaina had never been in the main office of the Watchpoint before as it was where major mission briefings and intel was held. She had never been important enough to know such things. The most recognizable area of the compound to her would be the east wing, or the med-bay. Both of which were further inside, not seen on their speed ride over. 

The office doors open when she exits the small vehicle. A huge man comes limping out of the office. Except it’s not a man but in fact a gorilla.

Elaina’s movements freeze, she stares stupified by the animal. It’s clothed, long sleeve shirt, sleeves rolled up, and khaki shorts adorn its hairy body. Tiny little glasses rest on his snout.

“Thanks Dominic,” the gorilla calls to the guard who had brought her here, waving him off. The man, Dominic apparently, salutes the gorilla in respect and restarts the golf cart to take his leave.

“Good day,” the gorilla now greets her.

Elaina swallows, rubbing the side of her arm. “H-Hello,” is all she can manage.

The gorilla laughs. “You are more polite than most people who meet a gorilla.”

Her lumbers over to her side. Previously thinking that he was limping, Elaina now notices that as a gorilla, that’s just the way he walks.

“Um…” she doesn’t know what to say. This conversation was also carefully calculated by her in the past few days but this ape was not what she was expecting. All her previous thoughts and sentences float unorganized around her hyper anxious head.

“I am surprised,” he says, stopping in front of her.

 _You’re surprised?_ Elaina’s mind grumbles.

“I do not believe we have met. My name is Winston,” he holds out a giant hand at her. Elaina only now blinks her wide aching eyes.

Her hand shakes in fear at her side, begging her not to surrender it to Winston’s grip. Hoping to make a good first impression, she ignores her panicking thoughts and places her left hand in his.

A thumb, the size of her palm, covers her hand gently.

“Come inside,” he smiles at her. Elaina is sure the smile is meant as encouragement, but honestly it just looks terrifying. “Hopefully you’ll get to see some old friends.”

In antithesis to this, she actually hopes to not know any of the others present for the recall.

Winston turns from her and lopes back into the open door to the office, missing the grimace she unwillingly displays.

Elaina pulls the duffle bag that had been slipping down, back up onto her shoulder, and follows him inside.

The office holds four others besides Winston.

A beautiful tall blonde woman who looks familiar.

A short mousy girl who seems full to bursting with energy.

A cowboy? He’s smoking inside.

And lastly an omnic man. A giant blade peaks over his right shoulder and continues out behind the left side of his body.

The sword wielding man catches her attention the most. Partly because he is the most interesting to look at, but also because she has had very little experience with omnics but founds them fascinating.

Elaina smiles to herself. She can’t remember the last time she didn’t feel like the strangest person in the room. The comfort warms her aching stomach.

“Who is it Winston?!” the mousy girl yells, disappears, then reappears at the gorilla’s side.

Never meeting her in person, Elaina knows this girl to be one of the most famous Overwatch agents, Tracer.

News of her disappearance from a freak accident in the ground-breaking slipstream covered every headline for a week.

“This is…” Winston turns to Elaina. “I didn’t actually catch your name.”

All eyes look at her. Suddenly she feels cornered, a mouse under the feet of giants. Every person in the room seems to grow taller. She swallows and opens her mouth, trying to make her voice work.

“E-Elaina,” she chokes out, holding her throat.

“Wait,” the cowboy removes the cigar from his mouth. “Winston, how is she here if ya don’t know who she is?”

“Good question!” Winston holds up a finger like he’s about to give a lecture. “Elaina, not to put you under pressure, but why are you here? Who are you?”

“I was… Notified,” Elaina tries to reorganize her thoughts again. “By the beacon.”

“But…” Winston sits and puts a hand on his chin in thought. “Beacons were only given to agents. I may not have known all of them personally, but I did know all of them.”

“I was not an active agent,” Elaina admits, feeling more confident as her predicted conversation reassembles. 

“How did you get access to a beacon then?”

“It was…” Does she want to admit theft? Does she want to associate herself openly with her mentor? “It wasn’t given to me. I took it. From Moira.”

The name sends shivers up her spine, her head twitching to shake it off.

“Moira?!” The cowboy’s cigar falls from his mouth and he stomps up to her. A tension falls on the room, weighing heavy on Elaina’s shoulders. “You work for Moira?”

His hand hovers over the revolver at his hip. The omnic man grips his blade’s handle tightly and Elaina’s eyes snap shut, readying herself for the attack.

“Please!” A new voice rings out. The blonde woman runs over to Elaina’s side, pushing the cowboy away. “Honey, do you remember me?”

Elaina opens her eyes to the woman’s face in front of her own, bright blue eyes shining.

The woman looks familiar, as previously noticed, but Elaina does not remember her name or even why she looks familiar.

“I have seen you before, but I am not sure where. Here, probably. But I am sorry, I do not know your name.”

“I am Angela, or as you had probably heard me called Doctor Ziegler,” she tells her. Angela puts a hand on Elaina’s shoulder in an attempt to calm her visible shaking.

The memories trickle back into her thoughts. Many loud arguments between this woman and her mentor. Moira used to vent to her about how closed minded the staff were about the progression of medical science. Elaina used to believe Moira was an inspiration and would agree with whatever she would say. An opinion swiftly excised by the involuntary testing and torture Moira had subjected her to in pursuit of her unique view of science.

The spit sticks heavy in her throat as Elaina attempts to swallow again. “Y-yes. I remember.”

A smile opens on Angela’s face, much less frightening than Winston’s.

“Do you still work with Moira, honey?” Angela asks delicately.

“Of course I don’t! That woman is a monster!” Elaina blurts in her face.

The blanket of tension lifts from the room and everyone visibly relaxes. The cowboy turns away from them and retrieves his dropped cigar.

“You must be tired, would you like to rest? We can talk again tomorrow,” Angela offers.

Elaina thinks she might love this woman based solely on her palpable empathy. The anxiety she has been harboring about her arrival is the only thing keeping her on her feet and the fatigue of her body is beginning to set in.

“Wait!” Tracer blinks over to Elaina’s side. “The mystery has not been solved! How did you get Moira’s beacon? Did you wrestle it away from her?!”

Tracer’s eyes light up. Surely a dramatic fight scene between Elaina and Moira is playing in her mind.

“Uh…” Elaina looks down at the ground. “No, I stole it. During the disbandment.”

“Oh,” Tracer looks disappointed. “Why though?”

Everyone is staring at her again. “I didn’t want to leave. And… I was hoping it would give me the opportunity to come back.”

With Angela at her side, Elaina leaves the room. Winston grants her her own room in the barracks of the compound. Luckily, she immediately passes out upon hitting the stale sheets on the bed, not having any time to overthink her position in this new environment.

A knock on the door brings her out of a seemingly endless sleep and she rises to answer it.

“Were you still sleeping?” Tracer asks when Elaina reveals herself behind the door. “I’m sorry!”

“Oh,” Elaina blinks a couple of times. She pulls her phone from her back pocket to check the time. It was about eleven am the day following her arrival. “It’s okay. I really shouldn’t be sleeping so much. It’s a bad habit of mine.”

“Really? Okay! Let’s get you something to eat!” Tracer pulls at her hand. 

“O-okay,” Elaina stumbles after her, barely having time to close the door to her new bedroom.

Tracer brings her down to the end of the hall and they take a left. Down another hall and to the left again into a large cafeteria like space. No one is inside.

Tracer pushes and pulls Elaina down into a seat at a long white table.

“What can I get you?” Tracer leans over the table, elbows on its top, head in her hands. She stares expectantly at Elaina with an encouraging grin taking up most of her face.

“Oh, uh,” Elaina looks around the room trying to come up with a food. “Cereal?”

Tracer dashes away and is back in a flash holding two boxes.

“Captain Crunch or Special K?” She shakes each one as if the sound will help with the choice.

The bright colors of the Captain Crunch entices Elaina and she points to it.

Tracer smiles and nods, clearly pleased with Elaina’s choice.

The bowl, cereal and a cup of milk are on the table in another flash. Tracer sits at her side, some of her energy seems to pass into Elaina and she smiles down at the cereal.

“Thank you very much,” she says shyly.

“You are welcome!” Tracer answers brightly. “I am also here to answer any questions you might have!”

Elaina slurps cereal and milk from her spoon, thinking.

“Can you tell me who the others are?” is the first question that comes to her mind. 

“Yup! The cowboy man is Jesse McCree and the cyborg ninja man is Genji Shimada.”

Cereal gets pushed to one side of Elaina’s mouth, “Cyborg? Is he not an omnic?”

“Hm? Genji? Nope!”

“Oh,” Elaina looks back down at her cereal bowl.

“Why do you look disappointed?” Tracer straightens in confusion.

“A-ah…!” Elaina feels her face heat up. “I’m not.”

“Got a thing for omnics?!” Tracer leans in close to her face.

“N-no!” Elaina looks in the opposite direction to avoid the curious brown eyes. “I have just never met one before and was… Just curious… and…” Elaina’s voice gets quieter until she stops talking altogether.

Tracer blinks to her other side, now in her face again. “Don’t worry love, I like omnics too!”

“Oh.” Elaina takes another bite of cereal. “What are they like?”

“They’re just like you and me!”

“Really?”

“Mm-hm, but smarter and stronger.”

Elaina munches the rest of her cereal while Tracer watches her.

“What about McCree?” Elaina asks, spoon clinking into the empty bowl.

“McCree?” Tracer looks up in thought. “He’s a roughneck cowboy man. Strong ideals, sharp wits, but he’s also very sweet.”

_Sweet? He almost shot me for working with Moira._

“Hm. Doesn’t really seem that way,” Elaina grumbles, slouching in her chair. “Why do they hate Moira? I mean…” Elaina notices it might sound like she is defending her previous mentor and tries to quickly recover. “I hate her too but…” Flashes of her torture dance behind her eyes and she twitches.

“I’m not too sure but, Genji and McCree did work with Moira in Blackwatch before the fall.”

An intercom above the door buzzes. “Tracer, would you come to the war room please?” Winston’s voice echoes through the room.

“I gotta go, dearie,” Tracer gets up. “I’ll see you later okay?”

Elaina nods at her. “Thanks again.”

Tracer disappears from the room, leaving Elaina alone again.

All of the others have already known each other from before the fall, and although Elaina isn’t necessarily new to Overwatch, it sure feels like it. Although warmly welcomed by Angela and Tracer, Elaina still feels an outcast being that she came from working with Moira. Restless with her own thoughts, she decides to go outside. Maybe the open space will help her not feel so trapped. 

It is rather windy outside and she can still smell the salt of the nearby ocean. The smell is akin to walking into her home, comforting, but also so natural it’s almost impossible to pick up. She can already see that the compound has begun to come alive again with workers moving things from one place to another. Most don’t even spare her a second glance luckily and she proceeds as far from the people as the island mountain would let her, ending up on a cliff’s edge in some sparse grass next to the plaza. She sits down, fighting depression.

After some time, the gravel rocks announce someone approaching her. Elaina turns from where she’s sitting to look. Angela and the cyborg man Genji stride up.

“Good day,” Angela calls out to her small form, a hand raised in greeting.

“Ah... Yes, hello,” she responds placidly, turning back, not sure if they intend to interact further with her.

The sound of their feet grows louder as they close in on her position. Turning back around, the two figures now stand above her huddled form.

“Oh!” Elaina scrambles up, thinking herself childish sitting below them.

“We met yesterday but just in case, I am Angela Ziegler, head doctor here at Overwatch,” Doctor Ziegler holds her hand out to Elaina. Not much taller than Elaina, Angela stands proudly, almost arrogant. She has golden blonde hair that she keeps tied back, and although she’s undoubtedly older than Elaina, it’s nearly impossible to guess her age.

“Yes, I remember you, my name is Elaina.” She hesitates, not wanting to offer Angela her right hand, but seeing no way out of it. The courtesy passes without incident.

“And I’m pretty sure you’ve never met Genji,” Angela motions to the cyborg man next to her, who bows formally to Elaina.

“Nice to meet you sir,” Elaina greets him. 

Genji is very intimidating. Now knowing that he is human, his hidden face spooks her. His body is mostly covered by white metal plating over maroon cybernetic muscle. The armor has been adorned with bright green lights, including the visor of which he sees out of. His helmet peaks in the front, giving it an almost bird-like appearance, and where his ears would lie are triangular spokes, almost like antennae. 

The huge blade still shows behind his back, as well as a smaller one behind his hips that she hadn’t noticed before. Witnessing his stoic demeanor, Elaina guesses that he is always armed.

_Is it because he's quick to violence? Or untrusting of all those around him?_

“A little cold out here don’t you think?” Angela's head tilts to the side in question.

“I suppose,” Elaina rubs her arm nervously, not comfortable sharing her currently fogged emotional state. “I uh, like the ocean so…”

Angela smiles to motivate the small talk. “Any particular reason?”

“I grew up near it.” Nervousness keeps Elaina from maintaining eye contact. Part of her knows this is rude, so her eyes dart back and forth.

“Seattle right?” Genji asks. His voice startles her, like a radio suddenly turning on.

Elaina has never been good at hiding her emotions, looking fearfully at him for the first time. “Yes, that’s correct.” 

She does not ask him how he knows. The group from yesterday likely looked into Elaina’s personal file after Angela put her to bed.

There’s an awkward silence as they stare at one another. 

“I’m sorry did you need something from me?” Elaina asks shyly, more towards Angela than Genji.

“Oh! Are we making you uncomfortable?” Angela bursts out, a hand coming to cover her mouth. “We were just walking and I saw you sitting here, thought you might like some company. We can leave if you’d like some time alone.”

“No, like your company fine,” Elaina insists. “I just didn’t want to waste any of your time.”

“We don’t have much going on yet." Her warm nature seems to be melting some of the hard feelings Elaina had been accumulating. “May we sit with you then?”

“Uh…” Elaina looks down at the ground where she has been sitting, as if it was her own dirty home, and feels embarrassed. “Here?”

“Why not?” Angela plops down in the dirt next to her. Genji does as well, although more gracefully, on Elaina’s other side. Elaina sits last, looking out on the water, sandwiched between two famous Overwatch agents.

“So, Elaina. What brings you back to Overwatch?” Angela asks. The question was clearly meant to be casual, but with Elaina between the two it felt kind of like an interrogation.

“Just trying to find my place in this broken world,” Elaina answers thoughtlessly.

Angela nods at her understandingly.

“How about you?” She directs this question towards Angela.

“Well, I’ve had a lot of conflict with this organization’s methods towards our world’s peace,” she begins with a sigh. “But… being out there and seeing it since its disbandment, I know now that it may be the best solution to fixing humanity.” Elaina nods. “Plus, it has the best equipment for medical use and development!” She exclaims with her hands out, suggesting she’s had to improvise on multiple occasions. “Not to mention it seems to be run by Winston now, and he’s much more compassionate than Jack or Gabe could ever be.” 

_Jack? Gabe?_ Elaina guesses that these were the men who ran the organization previously, but is too afraid to ask. Maybe Tracer can tell her later.

They sit for some time in the salty wind. 

“G-Genji?” The faceless mask turns when Elaina prompts him, then shortly after, back out towards the ocean.

“ _Hitoshirezu kami no yurushi o machi shima ni, kokora tsure naki yo o sugusu ka na_.” Elaina is taken aback by the sudden Japanese. “This world is changing. I believe I may have something to offer to it by being in this organization again.” He turns back to Elaina. “Perhaps not. We will see.”

_So cryptic._

Elaina can hear the Japanese accent in his english now. Genji stands suddenly, forcing Elaina to look up at him. The sun shines brightly off the chrome accents of his mechanical body. A glossy black scarf from the back of his head flaps in the oceanic wind.

He looks down, not at Elaina but Angela.

“May we?” he inquires.

Angela closes her eyes and nods standing as well. “I enjoyed our time together Elaina. Please come see me whenever you like.” Angela looks back and waves as she walks away, bringing a smile to Elaina’s face.

Elaina stays out for much longer, revisiting what brought her back to this place after so many painful memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hitoshirezu kami no yurushi o machi shima ni, kokora tsure naki yo o sugusu ka na:  
> While I wait for God's forgiveness unnoticed, many are the years of pain I have endured.


	2. A Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)

Tracer and Angela's unwarranted interactions with Elaina on the first day did not progress any further into the week. Out of fear that she would be a burden, she spends almost all of her time alone, unsure what her next step should be.

Luckily, near the end of the week, Winston calls her to his office.

“Reporting sir,” Elaina salutes him as she enters the room.

Winston turns in his chair, laughing. “There’s no need for that.”

Elaina lowers her arm. After spending the last couple of days basically accomplishing nothing, she’s ready for a reprimand.

"How are you feeling?" he asks politely.

"Oh," she squeaks, instantly brought out of a professional daze. "I'm… good."

She tries to smile but knows it probably doesn't look quite right.

"Don't be afraid to speak honestly with me. I would really like to be more of a friend, a companion, more than a boss." He rubs the back of his neck as if his request is a mighty one.

Appreciating his kind nature, she says, "I'm feeling useless, if you would like honesty."

“Ah!" He perks up, seeming to have an answer. " You were a nurse professionally, am I correct?"

Elaina nods.

"Would you like to study under Angela? I'm sure she'd appreciate the help."

Elaina sighs, remembering Angela offering this same olive branch the last time they spoke. Was she being rude by not seeking Angela out earlier?

"You're right, I should be working with Angela," Elaina admits.

"Unless," Winston speculates. "You came back because you have a desire… to change the world?"

Elaina hesitates, unsure what any answer would imply.

A nervous laugh breaks her thoughts, and the chair sighs as he lifts off of it. “Sorry, that question was more ideological than I meant, let me clarify. Are you interested in leaving the compound to help in making the world a better place?”

_A chance to start helping people? To make a difference?_

She thinks of Doctor Ziegler and Genji, wondering if she could amount to being so accomplished.

“I-I would very much like to, yes,” Elaina stutters. “I am not so sure I have much to offer in field work though.” She looks down and rubs her right arm self-consciously.

“We have many excellent agents here of whom I am sure would love to train you,” Winston insists. Elaina nods, still unsure.

“I know it may be a little sudden, but I was wondering if you would consider traveling with Tracer next week? To London?”

Elaina’s head snaps up. This must have been the true reason behind her summoning.

_Sudden? A week’s notice is extremely sudden._

Winston seems to be able to see the fear on her face. “Oh please don’t worry,” he waves his hand in front of him. “You won’t be engaging in any combat. On that note though, are you familiar with the state of London?”

The tensions rising in London are higher nowhere else in the world as far as the news channels are concerned. Built largely by the overwhelming omnic population, London and its government choose to see the omnic people not as true citizens and won’t grant them basic rights. It’s gotten so malicious that many of the police don’t even come to the aid of omnic brutality.

“How could I not?” Elaina says. “It’s a melting pot of hostility and fear.” 

_How can he not expect me and Tracer to not face combat in such an area? Especially with Tracer, and potentially me too, being sympathetic towards the omnic people._

“Ah…” Winston seems a little embarrassed. “Yes, well if you aren’t interested in going because it’s dangerous, I won’t blame you. Let me just message Angela-"

“I didn’t say that." She shifts her weight uncomfortably, hoping she hasn’t ruined her opportunity to go. "Sorry for the outburst.”

“So… You are interested in going?” Winston looks back up at her from his disappointed expression.

“What’s the mission entail? Can I bring a weapon for defense? Can I get some training on the provided weapon in the next week?” Her mind races with plans for the mission.

“Woah, you are a lot more enthusiastic than I thought! But before I give you details, I would like to ask you a personal question.”

“Yeah, okay,” Elaina consents. “What is it?”

Winston puts his hand to his chin thinking. “How do you feel about omnics?”

Omnics. The sentient robotic race was created some fifty years ago to promote worldwide economic prosperity. Elaina had spoken very briefly to Tracer about her interest in the race and wondered if Tracer had mentioned it to Winston.

“To be honest, I haven’t really interacted with them very much. Their plight seems very real to me though.” She decides not to mention her strange fascination with their workings.

“Omnics are not in your community back in Seattle?” Winston inquires.

“I have seen them, although their population is low in the United States with the country already top in the world’s economy. Also, I worked in a hospital, so the few times I had seen them, it was mostly in passing. The longest interaction I had with one was at a bus stop, where they offered me their seat.”

Winston smiles at her small story but remains silent, a far off look in his eyes. 

A couple of moments pass before he regards her again. “Elaina, I would like you to accompany Tracer in King’s Row. Experience first hand the omnic people, their struggles, their love, and their religion.” 

_Religion?_ Elaina feels embarrassed by her ignorance of them.

Winston waves her over to his work station while spinning in his chair back to the bright monitors. Elaina walks over and stands behind him. 

“Athena,” Winston instructs the system’s AI. “Show Elaina the posting on the rally in King’s Row please.

“Shambali leader set to speak in King’s Row,” Athena reads the headline as it materializes on the screen, the article features a very elegant looking omnic in white.

“This is Tekhartha Mondatta. He is the omnic leader of the Shambali, a religion that believes in spiritual equality between humans and omnics, using its philosophy to live together peacefully.”

Looking over the article, Elaina can see that it is advertising Mondatta’s appearance in King’s Row next week at a sort of public gathering.

Winston turns back to her. “Tracer has come to me with a request to attend this gathering. Would you accompany her?”

Elaina stops to think. 

_King’s Row. Isn’t that where Tracer is from? This would be a huge opportunity to experience the state of the world and to form a better relationship with one of the agents._

“Y-yes,” Elaina decides. “I would very much like to go.” A shy smile finds its way on her face.

“Great!” Winston jumps up from his chair, scaring Elaina back a few steps. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” she smiles at him again.

“I will arrange someone to meet up with you to show you how to handle a firearm in the next few days.”

Elaina nods, she takes this as dismissal and turns to leave. Before exiting she looks back at Winston. “Thank you sir.”

Winston nods, smiling, and she leaves the office.

The com pad next to her door buzzes a couple of days after Elaina had accepted the King’s Row mission. She’s hoping that it’ll be Tracer who trains her. Not only is she easily the nicest person Elaina has interacted with so far, but it would also be good to work together to foster compatibility on the battlefield.

“Yes?” Elaina pushes the call button.

“Elaina,” Winston’s face shows on the panel and his voice carries through the speaker. “I have successfully acquired a teacher for your firearm training.”

“Oh good!” she tries to sound more excited than nervous. “Uh, do I know them?”

“Sort of, they agreed to meet you at the firing range in an hour. Does that time work for you?”

“Yeah sure.” She resists the urge to ask who it is.

“Very good, that’s all I had for you.”

“Okay, thank you.”

The com goes dark and Elaina chews her lip.

_Sort of. Definitely not Tracer then. Couldn’t be Genji, who clearly does not use a firearm. It’s probably… the cowboy man._

An hour later, Elaina walks to the shooting range.

Sure enough, the man’s token cowboy hat comes into view as she rounds a corner. Elaina tenses, knowing the only interaction she's had with him was one of hostility.

“Good day,” she greets his back.

The man turns, pulling a cigar from his mouth. “Howdy.”

Elaina tries not to chuckle, but fails.

“Heh, think I’m funny?”

“Ah, sorry, no. You’re just… the real deal.”

“That I am. Name's McCree,” he holds out his right hand for a shake.

Elaina looks at it, pulls her sleeve down a little, and places her hand in his. “I’m Elaina.”

“Actually, why don’t you call me Jesse,” he winks at her, holding her hand a little too long.

Elaina waggles her head a little at his flirtatious nature, a clear contrast to the threatening gaze she'd received from him upon arriving.

“Okay...” she consents, taking her hand back.

“So ya here to learn how to shoot, right?” McCree returns the cigar to his mouth, hands resting on his belt buckle.

“That’s correct.”

“Well,” he pulls out the giant six-shooter from his belt. “You got some tiny hands so I wouldn’t recommend something this big, but… Why don’t you indulge me and fire off a round from Peacekeeper here?”

He holds the gun out for her to take. Elaina looks at it like a live dynamite. “Uh… okay.”

The handle is too large for her to get her fingers around it, so she uses two hands and holds it up like a bat.

McCree smirks at her. “Go on now.” He points down range at a square target.

“It’s too heavy,” Elaina complains, wincing at the immediate arm fatigue.

“Eh? Pretend it’s your only weapon, and ya gotta make do.” He leans in close enough to smell. “Life er death.”

Elaina extends her arms in an attempt to aim but can’t hold the pistol up for longer than a few seconds. Her eyes dart back up to McCree, who wears an expression somewhere between amusement and impatience.

_So much for teaching, he’s given me no instruction._

Elaina huffs, holds the gun out again, closer to her body this time, and fires. The gun kicks back into her hard, and in shock, she drops the weapon on the ground.

McCree howls in laughter slapping his leg, cigar falling on the ground next to Peacekeeper.

“Ah!” Elaina goes to retrieve the gun, sees the cigar there as well, and decides to pick up both. “Sorry.”

She holds out both items, not looking at him.

“Thank ya darling.” 

"I'm not your darling," she says quietly, pouting.

"Whatsat?"

"Nothing sir."

"Nah don't gimme that sir shit."

Elaina sighs, thinking she should have just learned through a training simulation.

"Aight, I can see you've had about enough of me." He sticks the cigar back in his mouth, gun back in his belt. "So I'm thinking you'll take nicely to a Glock."

He walks over to a blank white wall and knocks on it. The wall pops open, sliding up to reveal a complete arsenal of weapons. After briefly describing each type of weapon in sight, McCree fingers around inside and pulls out a small, simple, handgun.

Elaina takes the weapon.

"How's she feel?" He leans over her casually, one arm up against the rack.

She grips the gun tightly, then holds it out, steadying with her other hand. "Feels good."

"Mm-hm," McCree agrees. "Next step."

Elaina lowers the weapon to listen to his teachings.

"Give her a name."

"What? Seriously?" She baulks at him.

"Yep, all good partners got names."

She grumbles. "I haven't even shot it yet."

"Need a test drive, do ya?" 

They walk back over to the range.

Elaina fires off a few rounds. Surprisingly, McCree gives her some tips; on the way she stands, how to look down the sight, and when to breathe.

"You seem to get the hang of it pretty fast. Wanna try something else?" he asks after the clip is empty.

"Mmm… I like Betty. Don't want to get overwhelmed."

"Betty?! Aw shucks that's a right awful name for a gun."

"Hey, I'm not judging you cowboy man."

"Don't lie, you are too."

"Hmph! Well you deserve it, acting like you do."

"Heh, I like your spunk!"

McCree grins widely while Elaina glares at him. "Well thanks anyways for your help. You can leave if you want." She turns the gun in her hand, avoiding his eye.

"Uh huh, well before you kick me out, let me say something."

Elaina reluctantly looks up at him.

"I'm sorry. For lashing out at you. The other day." McCree rubs the back of his neck. "Didn't mean ta scare ya. Just me and Moira got history.”

"Yeah she has a habit of making enemies," Elaina mumbles, still fingering the gun to avoid eye contact.

"She musta did you wrong too, huh?"

Elaina pulls her sleeve down absentmindedly. "Yep."

McCree hovers uncomfortably. "Hey, can I shoot here with you awhile longer?"

"Um… if you want to."

"Good." He whips Peacekeeper back out and fires directly down range, shattering the center target.

The whirring of the jet’s engine announces that Elaina and Tracer will be departing for London momentarily.

“Thanks again for letting me accompany you Tracer,” Elaina calls to Tracer, who happens to be the pilot of the jet.

“Of course, love!” Tracer looks over her shoulder briefly back at her. “I thought you might like to meet some of those omnics you are so infatuated by.”

Blood rushes to Elaina’s face.

The small jet was clearly designed for active duty agents. It has a large open space with buckled seats, and lockers along the wall to hold various weapons and equipment. Elaina can make out some of the names above the chairs: Angela Ziegler, Torbjorn Lindhlom, Jack Morrison. She recognizes a few but not most of them. The thought of them all together here in this shuttle makes her yearn to make more of an impact in this organization. Maybe one day she’ll get a nameplate too.

Since Tracer is the pilot, Elaina resists the urge to make small talk, unsure how much she needs to focus. She hasn’t spent any time with her since they spoke over cereal after Elaina’s arrival, but hopefully this mission will give her the opportunity to make a friend in Tracer and not feel like such an outcast.

The three hour flight zooms past her. She has spent the travel time carefully analyzing all the things in the jet, like the names, and fantasizing about their stories.

Tracer brings the aircraft down in a small airport outside of London instead of one of the huge ones inside the city.

“Ready to go, dearie?” Tracer unbuckles herself and walks though the plane to Elaina’s position. Tracer wasn’t suited in her regular gear and instead wore an old timey pilots jacket with black skinny jeans, dark aviators covering her eyes. 

“I think so,” Elaina smiles up at her from the seat, trying to decide if commenting on Tracer’s look is appropriate. Ultimately deciding against it, “Lead the way.”

As her first mission, Elaina’s works diligently to transform her fear into excitement, hoping that whatever she does encounter, it won’t scare her away from active duty. 

The two of them leave the jet, and soon after, the airport too.

Tracer somehow gets her hands on a shiny orange corvette to use as transportation the rest of the journey to London.

Allowing the vehicle to accomplish its purpose to the fullest, Tracer drives very fast. At the end of the drive, Elaina is stiff with muscle cramps from constantly tensing.

“You grew up here, right Tracer?” Elaina asks as she and Tracer now move through the streets of London. 

“That’s right! Oh and call me Lena, dear,” Lena requests. “Don’t want to get caught doing something illegal like working for Overwatch.”

“Oh, okay,” Elaina agrees.

London is a stunning place, one unlike Elaina had ever seen before. It features a perfect blend of seemingly ancient history and modern technology. The streets were all cobblestone and much of the buildings were built from brick, but upon them busy metal pipes and walkways interrupt the space between walls. It’s exceedingly different from Seattle in that her home didn’t seem to offer any obvious unique culture in its contemporary structures. People really only came for the fish, and even the once famous space needle was nothing compared to the height of some of the new buildings the city allowed to be constructed. 

There’s tons of people to watch as they move into the busier parts of the city. Elaina fancies listening to the way they talk, and everyone is talking. Carefully watching her feet, she makes sure to not trip on the post rain sidewalk while also not losing sight of Lena.

“This place will always be my home,” Lens looks up at the steel and brick buildings. “The omnics made it what it is today, and I couldn’t be more grateful to them.”

Elaina looks around at the people passing by. Despite the apparently large omnic population, she doesn’t see that many of them. Definitely more than there were in Seattle but she had been expecting at least half the people to be omnic.

“Unfortunately, some of the people, including the government, wish them not to be seen or heard.” Lena hisses, reading her mind. “They corale them into the Underworld, where they don’t get to see the light of day, or even admire the wonderful things they have built in this city.”

“That sounds awful,” Elaina says. “Um… what’s the Underworld?”

Lena looks back at her, then waves her over to the edge of one of the buildings. She sidles up against the wall and motions for Elaina to do the same. It seems dubious doing such a thing in the middle of the city with dozens of people walking by, but Elaina mimics her anyway.

Lena points down and Elaina’s eyes follow.

There’s a break between the ground holding the building and the sidewalk. Beneath the city a bright ambient light reveals an entire other city. Elaina can see that unlike London, this Underworld is made up entirely of metal; the buildings, sidewalks, signs, and its people too.

“Oh my gosh!” Elaina bends down, peering through the gap to get a better look. “Can we go there?”

Lena giggles at Elaina’s stooping figure on the wet ground. “It wouldn’t be easy. City tries to keep people from sympathizing with them, so they don’t commonly let humans down without a good reason. Come on,” she pulls Elaina up from the ground.

Lena brings her to a tall building in the heart of London. There’s a neon sign hanging vertically from its side reading “Alderworth.”

The man behind the receptionist desk greets them, clearly exhausted, and no wonder, the place is packed! Elaina observes the people while Lena goes to speak with the man. 

The population in this hotel lobby is more like what Elaina was expecting, more than half omnic. She watches them without reservation. They interact with other omnics and humans just as a regular person would. Looking at them as normal people was almost impossible not to do. They laugh, they emote, some even have the local accent. 

Despite the similarities, their faces do not move or portray any kind of emotion, and some of them didn’t wear clothing which makes Elaina uncomfortable to some degree.

“Yes!” Lena bounces up next to her. “I cannot stress enough to you the trouble I went to to get a room at the hotel in the square where Mondatta’s going to be speaking.” She has her hands on her hips and a proud look on her face. Elaina smiles widely at her.

“So when is this rally anyways?” Elaina asks.

“It’s tonight, at eight pm. Why do you think there are so many people here? Oh my gosh!” Lena covers her mouth as a thought hits her. “What if Mondatta is also in this hotel?! What if we are in the room right next to him?!”

“That would be sweet,” Elaina tries to share Lena’s excitement.

“Anyways, let's bring our bags to the room so we can go catch a bite before it starts.”

The two of them only brought a backpack each, so this seemed a little unnecessary but Elaina follows her, making no complaints.


	3. Conflict

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Eight o’clock rolls around after Lena shares her favorite food, pie and mash, with Elaina. Although Elaina refused to eat the jellied eels, the pie was still amazing.

The two of them stopped briefly at the hotel so that Lena could gear up. Elaina was granted a firearm, Betty, and new experimental gear Winston labeled as “Adhesive Gear.” The set was a pair of gloves and boots which Winston said could be used to climb walls. Apparently, proper movement in a hostile environment is the best asset an agent can possess.

Elaina had tried to master the gear’s tricks before coming on the mission but was only successful in climbing to the top of a wall once, at which point she decided she wouldn’t be able to learn more before being sent out.

The two agents set out from the hotel room, into the crowd, ready for a hopefully peaceful rally.

People cheer Mondatta’s name in anticipation of his appearance. 

The chrono-accelerator attached to Lena’s chest acts as a beacon in the crowd of human and omnic alike and it wasn’t difficult to move past most people to get a better look at the pedestal where Mondatta would be speaking.

Shortly after Lena finds a suitable spot to observe, the elegant omnic Modatta appears in the doorway of the building leading to the pedestal.

“Mondatta!” and “We love you!” cheers pervade the crowd.

Mondatta is even more magnificent in person. Gold accents on his body, including his lower jaw, shine brightly in the media’s lights. Elaina notices that she has never seen nine glowing dots on an omnic’s forehead before. To confirm this, she looks left and right at the others around her. Indeed, most, if not all, only possess three. Were these dots a measure of rank?

“Human, Machine,” Mondatta begins in a powerful yet relaxing voice, “we are all one within the Iris.”

The crowd cheers and people wave their signs. Elaina looks over at Lena who is moving side to side, trying to get a better view, and has a spirited smile on her face.

“Before me I see the future,” he continues. “Humans and omnics standing together, united by compassion.”

Lena leans over to Elaina, whispering in her ear. “Did you see that?”

Elaina forces her eyes off Mondatta and looks at her. “See what?”

“Look at the guard posted to the right of the stage,” she instructs but does not point.

Elaina follows her guidance and looks over to him. He wears a concerned look on his face, fingers on the com at his ear and is looking up at the rooftops.

“Elaina,” Lena tells her. “I’m going up there.”

“What?” Elaina’s stomach flips.

“By common hopes and dreams,” Elaina can hear Mondatta say.

“Maybe it’s nothing, but if it is and I didn’t do anything, I would never forgive myself. Especially as an Overwatch agent, one who protects the world from such disasters,” Lena finishes.

Elaina’s heart beat increases. “W-what should I do?”

Lena smiles at her. “Don’t worry love,” she puts her hand on Elaina’s cheek. “I won’t ask you to come with me. You won’t be able to keep up anyways, but…” She stops and thinks. “Would you do your best to protect Mondatta if it comes to that?”

With all his security around, Elaina doesn’t think it would be necessary but, “I will try my very best,” she promises.

“Thata girl,” and with that Lena weaves through the crowd and out of sight.

Elaina turns back to Mondatta, trying to listen to his words of wisdom but they seem to flow past her. She stares at the guard on the right. She runs her hand through her hair. She rubs her arms like she’s cold. She shakes.

“There is disquiet in your soul,” a voice accuses next to her.

Elaina jumps back from him, bumping into another person. She quickly apologizes, then turns back to the omnic who had just addressed her.

“I’m sorry?” she asks him. The omnic in question looks very similar to Mondatta. Elaina actually thought it was him for a second, before quickly glancing back at the stage to see the monk still speaking. He has the same golden lower jaw and elegant body language. At first, she thought he wasn’t wearing any clothes, but upon looking him up and down, sees he wears very loose straw colored pants with bundles of differently styled fabrics around his hips. One such red fabric hangs lower in front than the other in a sort of loin cloth fashion. 

“You seem troubled,” he repeats himself, but in a less cryptic way.

“Oh,” Elaina supposes the man is concerned. “I uh… This city just kind of puts me on edge.” It isn’t a lie, just not all of the truth.

The omnic man doesn’t say anything but continues to stare at her, at least she thinks he’s looking at her. Looking back at him, she notices that he also has the nine dot pattern on his head.

“A-are you…” Elaina stutters. “Are you one of the Shambali?”

He laughs, an innocent breathy laugh. Her head flicks back in amazement at the sound.

“I am a teacher of the Shambali, yes,” he says. “Tell me the thoughts that plague you.”

Elaina looks back at the security guard who is now speaking to his earpiece again.

“M-my friend is concerned for Mondatta’s safety,” she speaks softly. “And has gone to investigate the threat.”

Although she knows she should not be sharing this information with a stranger, this man might be able to assist her in helping Mondatta if his life comes in danger.

“Mmm…” the omnic hums. “I have been feeling a sense of malevolence about here, but I had assumed it was just the darkness that shrouds this place.” He looks over at Mondatta.

The security guard that Elaina had been staring at approaches the Shambali leader and whispers to him.

“Elaina!” her own earpiece rings with Lena’s voice. “I have engaged the enemy. Talon,” she hisses. “Secure Mondatta to the best of your ability, I am going after her.”

Elaina presses the coms, “Understood, be careful.”

“A revelation,” the omnic says. Both he and Elaina look to see Mondatta being escorted from the stage. “Do not worry for him. Go to your friend.”

Elaina looks back at the omnic man. “But… I was told to-”

“Overconfidence is a flimsy shield, and she fights alone. Observe the support for my master and recognize that she has none.”

This speech makes Elaina more nervous and she looks up to the rooftops. 

“I will be with him, you will go to her, with this,” he holds out an ornate golden orb to her. It appears to be carved from stone and is about the size of a baseball.

Elaina leans over and looks at it, mesmerized. “What is it?”

He takes her hand and places the orb in it. “The Iris embraces you, young one.”

The orb is much heavier than she thought it would be and continues to stare at it, transfixed by its beauty. “Are you sure?” 

But the omnic man has left.

Severely torn between following the instructions of Lena or of the Shambali monk, Elaina stands shaking in the crowd. 

She puts the orb in a large cargo pocket on her thigh and weighs the two worst options: Lena falls in combat or Mondatta dies to the assassin. Which would destroy her more? 

Elaina gives a silent prayer for forgiveness and runs to the nearest building.

Engaging the adhesive gear, she struggles up its side to a fire escape stairway. The stairway offers the rest of the climb to the top of the building with much less effort. 

After hauling herself on the roof she looks around, trying to spot where Lena might be. Instead she runs into a rooftop guard who points the barrel of their gun at her.

“Ah!” Elaina immediately raises her hands in surrender.

“Who are you?” the woman interrogates her. “Why are you up here?”

“A-ah…” Elaina stutters. Does she tell this woman that she’s from Overwatch? Elaina does carry a badge displaying this in times of emergency. But if this woman is also a cop would she still arrest her? All Overwatch activity has been deemed illegal and punishable by prosecution.

Elaina’s mind races, trying to find a solution. 

_Think. If this woman is defending Mondatta, she probably has an honest and just disposition. It may be very unlikely that she would act against me._

“I am an Agent of Overwatch, ma’am,” Elaina decides to tell her. “My fellow is fighting to save Mondatta’s life up here and I was looking to offer her some support.”

The woman’s eyes widen and she cocks her head to the side.

Elaina slowly lowers her hand to her pocket and retrieves the badge to show her.

The woman stares at it blinking, then relaxes and smiles at Elaina. “God bless you people,” the guard sighs. “Please proceed, I saw them most recently on that roof over there,” she lowers her gun and points near the large clock tower.

“No, thank you for upholding the peace that we have failed to keep,” Elaina bows to her. When she straightens up the woman looks like she might cry. Elaina offers her a shy smile before taking off in the designated direction.

Jumping from roof to roof clumsily, Elaina sees a gas pipe burst off to her right. Lena lands at that same building's edge and pulls a device from her back, launching it into the steam cloud. 

A figure stands up in the steam, a very large rifle in their hand, and looks around sporadically for their enemy. Lena’s device flies towards them, and upon seeing it, the figure shoots.

The device, now clearly a bomb, backfires on Lena and she’s thrown from the top of the building.

“LENA!” Elaina calls out to her, hand outstretched.

The figure in the smoke, a curvy blue woman, runs to the edge of the building and vaults out into the space above the rally as well.

This is the opportunity the omnic man spoke of, Elaina is sure of it. Save Lena, her mind instructs, and Elaina whips out Betty from her waist.

Elaina aims it at the blue woman, who in turn aims her rifle straight at Lena’s chest. Elaina fires a few rounds.

All miss.

The blue woman fires, one shot, perfectly aimed, at Lena.

Just before the bullet hits, Lena disappears, her chrono-accelerator shining bright blue before vanishing.

Elaina sighs in relief, closing her eyes with a hand on her chest.

Screams echo up from the crowd in the street and her eyes fly back open to look down, anticipating Lena to have fallen on the street below.

“Looks like the party is over,” the blue woman mocks, in a French accent. The Talon agent stands on the building next to Elaina smirking.

Lena, who has recalled back to the same building, looks confused. She runs to the roof’s edge, seeing Mondatta’s body limp in the car he’d been about to enter.

“No… No, no, no, no!” Lena turns towards the French woman and blinks into her, tackling her to the ground. The rifle flies from the woman’s hand as Lena and her tumble across the rooftop to its edge.

Elaina has her hand over her mouth, anguished at Mondatta’s murder, but the sound of Lena and the enemy’s tustle brings her attention back. 

Lena has her pinned on the building adjacent.

Elaina slowly walks to the edge of her rooftop and jumps the short gap over to the next. On her way to Lena’s side she notices the enemy’s rifle on the ground.

Deciding not to underestimate the Talon agent, she goes and retrieves it. The rifle sits heavy in Elaina’s arms. It’s blue, not unlike the one who usually wields it, and has a spider-like W printed on the side of it.

“Why?” Lena screams at the woman. “Why would you do this?”

Elaina looks over at them, attention now off the rifle.

The French woman laughs, eerily. " _Adieu, cherie_."

Suddenly, she pulls Lena over the edge of the building with her.

“Lena!” Elaina calls out again, running to the building’s edge.

A metal cord is pulled taut next to Elaina as she runs, distracting her from the edge.

Lena gives a cry of pain from over the edge and the blue woman grapples back up to the roof, Elaina stumbling back at her landing so close by.

“ _Où en étais-je_?” the woman looks around, sight landing on Eliana. “ _Bonsoir_.” She begins to walk towards her, clearly not intimidated by the fact that Elaina holds her weapon.

The woman, now in clear view, is very intimidating. She has pale blue skin, akin to a cadaver, and wears a tight catsuit that exaggerates her tantalizing body. In addition to this, the suit is cut so low in the front that half the woman’s breasts poke out. How they do not come loose in combat is a complete mystery to Elaina. Dark blue hair in a ponytail keeps her face visible, with a cute button nose and large predatory yellow eyes.

_Do not underestimate her,_ Elaina tells herself. She holds the rifle out in front of herself, menacingly.

“ _Encore_?” she teases. “You’re barking up the wrong tree, _Mademoiselle_.”

Elaina is visibly shaking. _Should I shoot her?_ Elaina asks herself.

“Never killed anyone before have you?” the woman teases her. She resumes her walk towards Elaina, her movements like a lithe panther. “A shame. It is a thrill like no other.”

The woman stands in front of her now. Elaina can’t shoot her. She can’t. But she also cannot allow her to take the weapon.

In a snap decision, Elaina throws the rifle from the roof, down to the street floor. The once impudent look upon the woman’s face turns sour. Her hand shoots out and grabs Elaina by the neck.

“ _Vous petit pute_ …” The woman growls at her. 

Elaina grabs the wrist joining the hands now strangling her with both hands. Spots start to form on the edges of her vision. _Should’ve shot her_ , Elaina thinks to herself.

A sinister energy crawls up Elaina’s right arm, turning the veins purple. The woman looks down at it, surprise in her eyes. The biotic grasp catches her flesh just before she can pull away.

Elaina’s mind is immediately consumed by visions of the woman’s life. 

_A stage, ribbons adorning my legs. A bright sunny day, flowers in my hair. A man smiling down at me lovingly. Fear. Confusion. The blood of the love of my life painting my hands. Then nothing. Darkness and whispers._

Elaina’s eyes snap open after witnessing the woman’s past.

“Amelie,” Elaina thinks out loud.

The expression on Amelie’s face is one of pure loathing. “Not anymore, _cherie_.”

A helicopter buzz has both of them look skyward. The wind from its quick descent pushes Elaina over and Amelie grapples up to it, pinning Elaina with an aggressive stare as she departs.

Elaina watches the sinister ship leave the airspace, both relieved and terrified.

_Lena,_ her subconscious reminds her.

Elaina perks back up, rubbing her aching neck and jogs to the building’s edge. She looks down and sees Lena on another roof about fifteen feet below. The chrono-accelerator sparks violently and her form seems to be shifting in and out of space.

Elaina crouches, then hangs over the edge of the building. She drops, and tries to roll to reduce the impact. The action is successful but still hurts her legs.

“Lena!” Elaina runs over to her, unsure how to help, hovering uncertainly above her.

Lena looks up at her, tries to say something but the words get phased in and out and Elaina can’t decipher the speech.

Elaina pulls her phone from her pocket, dialing the Watchpoint in Gibraltar.

After directing the operator, she gets through to Winston. 

“Winston!” Elaina calls into the phone.

“Yes, what is it Elaina?” he sounds ready for anything on the other end of the line.

“It’s Le-,” Elaina hesitates. _Of course he knows her real name stupid._ “Lena’s chrono-accelerator! I think it’s broken.”

“Broken how?” Winston asks. “What’s happening?”

“She’s like phasing in and out. I can’t even make out her speech.”

“Oh no,” Winston sighs over the phone. “I’m uh.. Guessing you don’t have any experience with repairing modern machinery?”

“No…” Elaina begins to tear up. She didn’t save Mondatta and now she can’t help Lena either, now crying openly into the phone. “Winston, I’m a failure as an agent. I’m so sorry.”

“Calm down,” Winston instructs her. “I am going to retrieve my notes on the chrono-accelerator. Wait for me, okay?”

“O-okay,” Elaina stutters through tears. She stares down at Lena’s broken form, then kneels on the ground next to her. 

One of her pockets bulges and whatever’s inside applies pressure to her leg. She shifts uncomfortably, _what even is that?_

Elaina unbuttons the pocket and pulls free the stone orb given to her by the Shambali monk.

_Oh please!_ She squeezes it in her hand. “I know I failed to help your master,” she tells the orb, “but please, help me. Help Lena.”

The orb begins to vibrate, Elaina stares at it, blinking away tears so that she can see better. The three circular plates adorning the orb lift off slightly and it begins to glow a calming golden light. It rises from her hand and floats up near her shoulder. 

A soothing energy flows into her, channeled from the orb. Her neck and legs start to hurt less and the anxiety and fear she had been feeling clears from her mind.

“No! Not me!” Elaina yells. She grabs the orb out of the air and tosses it towards Lena. 

The orbs spins and almost shoots past the intended target, but pauses at the edge of her. Elaina waits with bated breath as the orbs tethers to Lena.

The sporadic intervals of her body phasing in and out of reality slow and eventually stop altogether. 

Lena steadies on the ground, breathing heavily.

Elaina leans a little further over her, the orb still floating blissfully above her.

“L-Lena?” Elaina asks, uncertain.

Lena flops down on her back and huffs.

“Oh man,” she says, staring up at the night sky. Her eye then catches sight of the orb. She blinks up into a standing position, orb now in her hands. “Woah! What’s this?”

Elaina laughs happily, overjoyed at Lena’s recovery.

“ELAINA!” she can hear Winston scream from the phone.

“Oh!” Elaina picks up the discarded phone. “I am sorry sir.”

“Is that Tracer I can hear? How did you fix the chrono-accelerator?”

Elaina sighs, suddenly exhausted. “Fucking magic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Où en étais-je?: Where was I?  
> Bonsoir: Good evening  
> Vous petit pute: You little bitch


	4. First Lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Elaina and Lena travel back to Gibraltar the very next day. After the orb had fallen lifelessly from Lena, she broke down into a depressive state, blaming herself for Mondatta’s death.

Elaina tried to shift some of the blame to herself to calm Lena but she was having none of it. 

“It should have been me,” she would say, or, “If only I had been smarter when fighting Widowmaker.”

Elaina deduces from this that Amelie’s villain name is Widowmaker. She didn’t share the visions that she experienced from Amelie with Lena but from them she knew that Widowaker has a history with Overwatch.

Back at the Watchpoint, the both of them kinda just sulk around. Lena’s lucky because she has Emily, her wife, to comfort her in her disappointment, while Elaina now spends her time alone again.

One morning, Elaina sits at a table in the communal kitchen.

She rolls the now lifeless orb back and forth on the table in front of her, a finished bowl of cereal next to her.

Faint footsteps bring Elaina’s attention to the doorway. Soon after looking up, the cyborg man Genji enters. She straightens, feeling embarrassed pouting in front of him.

“Yo,” he raises a hand in greeting while walking past.

“Good morning,” she smiles at him, wanting more friends but too embarrassed to ask for his company.

Genji turns suddenly, slamming his hands on the table next to her, making her jump and squeal. 

“Forgive me,” Genji lifts his hands back, embarrassed. “But is that a Tekhartha orb?!”

“A w-what?” still startled by him, she holds the orb close to her chest, leaning away from him.

Genji clears his throat. “Where did you receive that item, if I may ask?” Each sentence of his becomes more and more composed.

“I uh…” Elaina looks down at the orb. “It was given to me.”

Genji waits, leaning in slightly in provocation.

“In London, at the rally.”

“May I see it?” he holds out a hand.

 _What would happen if I said no?_ She wonders to herself. Genji, as always, carries his blades with him, two of them, one very large one on his back and the other smaller one at the back of his hips. _Better not find out._

Elaina warily holds out the orb, placing it in his palm.

Genji lifts the orb up to his face, or mask really, for close inspection and sighs nostalgically.

“Um…” Elaina interjects. “You know what that is? Will you tell me?”

“Yes,” he lowers the orb and looks at her. “This is a Tekhartha orb, original owner goes by the name of Tekhartha Zenyatta.”

Elaina combs her thoughts. She knew that she had heard the name Tekhartha before but is also sure that the Shambali monk had not given her his name when they spoke.

“I thought Mondatta was Tekhartha?” Elaina thinks more out loud to herself than as a question for Genji.

“He is as well,” Genji answers her anyways. “Or was.”

Elaina’s thoughtful expression changes to one of sadness.

“Is Tekhartha a surname?” she asks him.

“It could be thought of that way. The Shambali monks take on the name once they cross the border and become one with the Iris.”

Fascinated, Elaina stares at him, hoping he’ll continue. 

He does not.

“So… How do you know so much?” Elaina asks timidly.

He chuckles. Elaina smiles at the sound. _New friend,_ she hopes. This is the longest she’s spoken with someone since her return from London.

“I studied with them for years,” Genji says. He throws the orb up in the air and catches it again. “Zenyatta is my mentor. And a dear friend. I knew Mondatta as well.”

Elaina’s face lights up. “Wow! Really? So…” She combs her brain for more questions. “How does that orb work? It saved Lena’s life with some special magic.”

Genji laughs again. “It does look like magic to humans, doesn’t it? Omnics run from a unique form of energy unknown to almost everyone. They can channel this energy into positive,” he holds up a hand elegantly, “or destructive forces,” the hand comes down into a threatening clench.

Elaina stares down at the orb in his hand. He tosses it to her and it lands hard in her palm.

“Zenyatta likes to charge these orbs with this mysterious energy, giving them to those in need. They used to assist me in my training in Nepal.”

Elaina brings the orb in front of her face in inspection, as Genji had done moments before when he spoke.

She looks back at him, lowering the orb and hands into her lap. “You are amazing.” Her face offers pure admiration to him.

“ _Watashi o?_ ” Genji’s head juts forward in disbelief, hand on his chest. “I can’t charge these orbs. Only Shambali monks can.”

“Yeah but,” she hesitates. “You have done so much in life. I’m jealous. I wish I could be even half the person you are.” Elaina looks down, feeling disappointed in herself.

“ _Jibun o kashō hyōka shinaide kudasai_ ,” he says, kneeling down next to her.

Elaina doesn’t know what it means, but can tell it was meant as encouragement and smiles at him.

“If you are looking to better yourself, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance,” he offers.

“Really?” Elaina’s face lights up.

Genji stands and shrugs. “ _Nazena no_? Come to me Thursday morning at the training grounds.”

“Thank you very much,” she says. “I will be there.”

Upon arriving at the grounds Thursday morning, the place seems empty, so Elaina decides to look around for some equipment that she could use alone while waiting for Genji to arrive. She strolls out into the open, making her way toward an equipment cabinet when a knife appears at her throat. 

Is this a test? She thinks it's probably Genji as no one else seems to use blades. Motivated, Elaina grabs the wrist and slams her elbow into the adversary’s gut. Except the gut is metal and it almost breaks her elbow! Elaina howls in pain and doubles over after the knife pulls away.

“Ha! Yes! _Totemo yoi_! Except you cannot stop me that way!” He flips back and beckons her to the sparring ground.

“Genji, I think you shattered my elbow.” 

He gets up from his ninja stance and walks over to her. Kneeling down, he takes her arm in his cold grip.

“Seeing through pain is sometimes the only way to defeat an opponent.” He looks up at her wincing face. “But support and survival may be more important than the mission. I will get Angela,” he leaves. 

Elaina sits holding her still throbbing arm until he returns with Doctor Ziegler.

“I have been told Genji tricked you into foolishly attacking him,” she comments upon arrival with Genji following behind her. She’s wearing her lab coat but does not carry her usual Caduceus. 

“Yes quite right,” Elaina glares playfully up at Genji who has the courtesy to look away, perhaps embarrassed. She kneels next to Elaina and pulls out what looks to be a pen. Elaina gives Angela her arm and she aims the end of the pen at her elbow. A tiny Caduceus! A pleasant heat swells in her elbow, fixing the damaged tissue. 

Doctor Ziegler finishes and turns to Genji, “Do I need to stay this whole training session?” He looks back at her and shakes his head. Angela smiles warmly at her before departing. 

Elaina stands up and faces him. 

“I’m ready for revenge,” she threatens.

“ _Honki o misete miro!_ ” he answers brightly, perking up, and runs off to the sparring ground.

Elaina chases Genji to the open area about a hundred feet away.

The grounds are different, but close, to what she had trained on with McCree last week. It consists of a large open space, but offers barriers that can be raised or lowered across the arena. They are currently in the down position. On the left edge of the field is a wall that functions as a weapon rack. She could see various guns, knives, bombs and even blunt weapons like bats. 

Elaina and Genji approach the weapons case.

“Hm,” Genji mumbles. “What should we start with?” He looks over at Elaina, who was waiting for him to decide. “You went on a mission recently, yes?”

Elaina nods.

“What kinds of things did you encounter that you wish you could have done differently?”

“Well…” Elaina ponders her failures in King’s Row. “I missed a bunch of shots on the enemy,” was the first thing that came to mind. “I got extremely fatigued from using my adhesive gear. Aaaand… I couldn't break out of the enemy’s grip when she grabbed me,” Elaina finishes, hand ending on her neck protectively.

“Adhesive gear?” Genji cocks his head.

“Oh yeah, Winston gave me some new experimental gear that allows me to climb walls.”

“Hah!” Genji exclaims.

“I think he also said I might be able to walk on ceilings too but I’m way too afraid to try,” Elaina finishes the description.

“Well,” Genji crosses his arms. “I am fairly certain that Winston has modeled that gear after me and my abilities.”

“Is that so?” Elaina asks skeptically, teasing him.

“It is very much so!” Genji insists.

Elaina shrugs, trying to push his buttons a little.

“Very well _Gakusei_ , we will start with movement.” 

“ _Gakusei_?”

“Get your gear, we will meet over there,” he points to the group of tall building-like structures that she supposes is used for this movement type training.

Elaina shuffles through the gear at the weapons rack and does actually find the adhesive gear. She swiftly puts it on and jogs over to Genji’s side.

“Show me how this works,” he motions her to the wall.

Elaina demos for Genji the effects of the sticky shoes and gloves by climbing a short distance of the wall, then jumping back down. 

“Looks simple enough.” 

“Well the gloves and shoes allow me to climb vertical surfaces, but I still have to climb.” 

“Sounds like you need more endurance. Maybe we should just go running?”

“Oh, should we do that? I was kind of looking forward to getting your advice on climbing efficiency.” Elaina looks away to hide some disappointment. 

_Plus I can’t run for shit, look like a potato in front of him._

“Ah, very well we can run later! As I said before, it seems to be mimicking my style of wall running. _Watashiwomite_!”

Genji climbs up the nearest wall, jumping seamlessly between buildings. He ends at the top of one of the structures and looks down. 

“I will observe you from up here,” he tells her from above.

Elaina is respectably embarrassed. 

_On my first try this master ninja is going to judge my progress? What if I fall like an idiot?_

Genji’s body flexing and jumping comes to Elaina’s mind as she tries to visualize what she should be doing. She blushes fiercely at some of the thoughts and is a little bit confused with herself.

Maybe if he was just a regular man in tight clothes flexing she wouldn’t be so confused. But Genji was mostly robotic right? Why should the sight of his body make her blush?

“You alright down there?” Genji is now squatting at the edge staring at Elaina, his head scarf flying beautifully in the wind. 

“Ah! Well, I’m afraid I’ll look like a fool in front of you on my first try. Can I have a moment to myself?” Elaina chances a glance at him. 

“How can I help you get better if you will not allow me to see your weaknesses?” 

Elaina sighs in defeat and runs at the wall, using the inertia as assistance to get up a ways before slapping her hands on it to stay aloft. She squeezes her eyes shut in fear of falling.

“Don’t close your eyes! You need to see where you’re going and if the enemy is coming for you!” 

_Fuck, don’t think I could manage even this small amount if I was under fire,_ Elaina thinks to herself, forcing her eyes open.

“Need me to be the enemy to get you moving?” he calls almost mockingly. 

“No!” She can hear him chuckle at the quick response. Elaina is at a stand still so she tries to climb the wall by crawling instead of the beautiful dynamic movements Genji displayed earlier. But Genji was on one of the neighboring buildings so she would have to jump eventually. 

Upon reaching the point at which Genji stands adjacent, she jumps in an attempt to grab the edge at his feet. 

Elaina could feel her stomach fall to the ground and soon anticipates hitting it herself. 

A firm grip under the arms keeps her in mid-air. After a few seconds, Elaina realizes she hasn't become a victim to gravity and slowly opens her eyes.

Genji’s face, or rather his mask stares into her eyes, he holds her up with ease, one hand around her, the other holding the edge of the structure. 

“ _Migoto_! You show no fear!” He helps her up on the structure. "You'll make an excellent ninja!"

“But I didn’t make it. I would have fallen. Probably to my death.” 

Genji crosses his arms thinking. “You are only human, do not assume you can complete tasks flawlessly on the first try.” Elaina nods but is still disappointed. 

“Let’s try again!” His energy encourages Elaina. “But perhaps something not so life threatening.'' 

They slide down to solid ground and practice some more on shorter structures til lunch time.

“You must be hungry,” Genji declares. “Go eat, but return after.”

Elaina nods, not asking if he would eat with her, and runs off to eat as fast as possible, eager to resume.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watashi o?: Me?  
> Jibun o kashō hyōka shinaide kudasai: Don't underestimate yourself  
> Nazena no?: Why not?  
> Totemo yoi: Very good  
> Honki o misete miro: Show me what you can really do  
> Gakusei: Student (my student)  
> Watashiwomite: Watch me  
> Migoto: Brilliant


	5. One Hand Gives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Elaina picks up a mock pistol with additional ammo, a mock knife which has a dulled edge that leaks bright paint when pressure is applied, and a couple of smoke bombs. Thinking back to earlier she also equips gear to guard her joints.

She peeks over and sees Genji take off his various “live” weapons; shuriken ( _out of his arm! Woah_!), wakizashi, and Ōdachi for similar mock blades she had picked up. 

Once geared up, they walk out into the open area. 

“I will be your _Sensei_ today,” Genji announces. Elaina blushes slightly at the proclamation. “Understand Gakusei?” 

“Uh… Yes.” 

“Yes?! Yes who? Who are you speaking to?” 

“Yes… Sensei.” She blushes even harder at this, then rubs her cheeks to dispel some of the heat.

“We will begin with hand to hand combat. I will not strike you but keep you from striking me. _Kakugo_!” 

Apprehensive, but determined, Elaina runs at her new Sensei. She fakes a head on punch then ducks at the last second to swipe at his legs. He jumps, lands and shuffles back. 

Elaina rises using her inertia to strike him dead in the face. He blocks with the side of his arm, grabs Elaina’s to throw her, and uses her own upward energy to launch her further. She lands hard on her arms and rolls the rest of the way until her momentum ceases and she stops. Getting up on one knee, she turns to look back at Genji. 

“ _Yoshi_! I was worried you would not commit to your actions since you have little combat experience. But it seems I was wrong. You don’t however have much strength so I believe that training more in this may be futile until you build more muscle.” He stands a ways away, speaking more to himself than to her she thinks. 

“Let’s move on to weapon combat. Yes?” he approaches, holding out a hand to help her up.

“Yes.” He stares at her, waiting. “Sensei…” 

He nods, “Very good.” The two equip false knives. “I will try to hit you in this simulation. Do your best to dodge or block.” Elaina nods. She flips her knife in her hand in a cool fashion to face it away from her body. She imagines him raising his eyebrows at her and grins. 

_What does his real face look like?_

After a second he moves toward her, hand on his wakizashi, the blade located at the base of his back. Genji throws some shuriken at her in his approach and, caught in the middle of a thought, Elaina readies for the attack by blocking with her left forearm and knife. The mock shurikens bounce off her chest, depositing sticky red paint to illustrate a fake wound.

Now rushing up to her, Genji pulls his wakizashi out to slice at her stomach. Elaina reacts by backing up, the blade coming just short of her body. But he just moves further into her, attacking again. She backs up again, trying not to trip over her own feet. This continues for a few more steps until he ducks around her and stabs her in the kidney. Elaina stumbles forward from the impact and Genji grabs her knife hand from behind disarming her, then bringing his own blade to her throat. The fight pauses, Elaina holding her breath.

The pressure of his body against her back, his left arm restraining her, brings back unwelcome thoughts. She curses herself silently. An enemy is an enemy, no matter how… she stops the thought before it finishes. He parts from her and walks around to face her again. The breath she was holding flies out.

“Let’s go again," Genji instructs.

They spar a few rounds more before Genji holds up his hand. “That’s enough.”

Elaina lowers her fatigued arms. “What’s next?”

“Hm… Well I suppose it would be long range combat but-”

“You do not use firearms?" she suggests.

“ _Seikai_. I am not against assisting you with them, as a means of target practice perhaps. Would you allow me to use shuriken as my ranged weapon while you use a firearm?” He cocks his head to the side, clearly unsure if this method of training would be helpful to her.

“Don’t you think that being my teacher you should offer what’s most beneficial to me, the student? How often am I going to encounter and fight another cyborg ninja?” she leans forward, hands behind her back.

Although his facial expressions are hidden by the mask, it's clear that he was not expecting her rebuttal. “Ah… You are correct.” He makes his way over to the weapons cabinet and picks up some kind of automatic gun. 

Elaina knew it to be a P-90, as McCree had taught her, but she doubts Genji does. He holds the gun out in front of him, looking at it awkwardly. 

Elaina laughs, hand over her mouth. He grumbles and holds it close to himself to try and counteract the discomfort. “I will paint you.” 

The comment is humorous but also still kind of menacing.

“Hold on.” Elaina pulls the glock from at her waist, flipping the safety off.

They begin at opposite ends of the ring. He raises the gun as if to aim it, then shoots, completely missing her. The unexpected impact of the gun makes him stumble, then he looks down at it as if seeing it for the first time. 

Elaina laughs out loud, thinking her reaction to Peacekeeper must have looked the same.

“Ōi!” He looks back up. 

“I am the Sensei now Genji,” she teases, aiming her gun at him and shoots out a couple of well aimed rounds. Although bad with guns, he is still a master of movement and quickly whips out his wakizashi to deflect the bullets back at her, dropping the P-90 in the process. 

“Hey no fair,” Elaina points at him, wiping paint splatter off her face.

"Hah! _Aho ga_!" he taunts, wakizashi still in hand. “The dragon becomes me!” Gun forgotten, he swiftly runs at her chuckling.

“Ah!” Elaina runs in the opposite direction looking for cover, but he’s too fast and tackles her before she can escape. They tumble across the ground laughing. Elaina ending up on top of him, she pushes herself up into a sitting position.

Both are covered in the combat paint that comes from the guns and knives. Her hand sticks slightly to his chest. Suddenly, her laughter slows and she becomes painfully aware of the position she has ended up in. 

Straddling Genji, her Sensei, hands sticking to his chest. Blood rushes to her face, undoubtedly going bright red and she covers the evidence with her hands, ignoring the paint. Genji’s laughter slows too now. 

“What’s wrong?” His body moves under her and she slides down into his lap. The hands come away from her face as he gently pulls them aside.

Elaina may only see his mask on the other side, but knows he can see her and her shameful cheeks.

“Are you injured?” 

She makes an effort to not look at him. “No.”

Elaina tries to remove herself from him but still holding her wrists, Genji doesn't allow her to.

“ _Matsu_ … You are embarrassed?” She chances to look back at him.

“Yes, I’m sorry Sensei, forgive my immaturity." Her face scrunches, eyes shut.

“Heh,” he chuckles at this. “Don’t be.”

Her eyes spring open and she almost bonks heads with him, shock clear on her face.

“It’s uh…” he clears his throat, now also embarrassed himself. “ _Oseji_. Flattering.”

Genji releases her wrists and stands out from under her.

The shock at his acceptance of her dirty thoughts isn't fading and she carefully watches his body as he moves away from her.

"Elaina," he says, back still to her.

"Uh," she shakes her head, trying to dispel her overflow of thoughts. "Yes, Sensei?"

"Forgive me for prying but…" he turns back to her. "You have a likeness to Moira."

The elation pulsing through her seconds ago sours into fear and disgust. She doesn't know what to say to that, so instead, looks up at the clear sky.

"I don't mean in your spirit," he clarifies. "I mean in your physiology."

Confused, Elaina looks back at him. He has his hands up, fingers wiggling.

A painful swallow travels down her neck. "Y-yes."

Looking down at her own hands, it's a wonder she doesn't wear gloves. The left hand is fairly normal, perhaps a little thicker than it should be, but the right one is strangely sinister. The purple veins of her arm peak out of her shirt sleeve, tainting the skin, and her slightly too long nails rest on purple beds.

"Will you educate me on your abilities?"

Elaina didn't notice, distracted by her hands, that he had come back over to her side, now squatting next to her. "It could prove useful in combat."

"It's…" she takes a breath to steady herself. "I would rather not have to use it. It's unnatural, and honestly disturbing, why should I embrace it?" The conversation introduces anxiety, and Elaina rubs her hands together impatiently.

"Do not feel shame," he almost whispers. "It’s not just your body, but a representation of yourself. _Mi o sutete mo, myōri wa sutezu_."

Elaina grumbles, noncommittally.

"I am not sure if you know but I worked with Moira in Blackwatch, I have experienced the tightness of biotic grasp before."

Elaina's head snaps up, "She subjected you to it?"

He chuckles, "Does it actually surprise you?"

Moira, an insatiable, psychotic scientist using her newly developed ability, one perfected at the expense of Elaina and many others, on anyone and everyone? "No, I suppose it does not."

"I know one hand takes," his hand snakes between hers, taking the right one, "but I also know that the other," his other hand takes her left, "gives. It saves lives, Elaina. It could save me one day. Or Lena."

Tears bud in her eyes and her hands grip his. "Genji…"

The doubts of her place here, the anxiety and fear of uncertainty are tossed aside at this man's speech. This place, these people, are like none other in the world. Yes, her previous time here has left her scarred, but if that is what it takes to feel welcomed, to feel love, then it was a sacrifice worth making.

"Now," Genji pulls her to her feet. "Train with me. Show me what science has granted you."

Elaina sniffles. "Y-you want me to subject you to biotic grasp?"

"Power and control are like muscles, they need to be flexed regularly to grow stronger."

"But…" Elaina hesitates. "I am not perfected as Moira is. I was just a stepping stone to harnessing real power. My abilities come with side effects."

"Hm," He crosses his arms in thought. "What kind of side effects?"

"I may be able to repair flesh as she had but it is at the expense of my own stamina," she decides to explain the altruistic effect first.

"Ah, that is unfortunate. But with the other hand, you may recover that lost energy, _migi_?"

The weight of her body shifts to one leg and she rubs her right arm. "Um, yes but…"

"It also has a side effect?" he guesses.

Elaina nods. "Originally M-Moira," she struggles the name out, "thought it a blessing. Ultimately though, she decided its effect makes me too soft."

Genji waits patiently.

"With the stolen life force of the victim comes their strongest memories. I see their life as they die by my hand."

" _Shi no tenshi no yōna_ ," he whispers. "You mean to say that if used upon me, you would see my life?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it's a huge violation of privacy. Not really practical for basic training."

A small part of Elaina's mind hopes to be able to witness such a thing. A man like no other, his life must be absolutely stunning to see. 

"Gakusei?"

Her attention moves from her thoughts back to him. "Yes?"

"Would you mind if I meditate on this?"

"You need time to think about whether or not to share your entire life with me? Sensei, I honestly don't think it should be a tough decision. You barely know me…"

"Allow me to make that choice.”

Elaina runs a hand over her face, clearly stressed.

“For now, let’s end the session here.”

Originally thinking she could spend all day with Genji, Elaina swiftly bows to him and moves as quickly away from the field as possible without actually running.

“Before you go,” Genji calls after her. “Will you reconvene with me this coming Tuesday? For another session?”

Her shoulders tense. “I will try to be there,” she tells him.

Stupid Tuesday rolls around and Elaina hasn't yet found a solution to Genji's request. The last person she used biotic grasp on was by complete accident. A man who had been flirting with her in the hospital had snuck up on her. She slapped him, foolishly with her right hand, and her heightened emotions had invoked the ability. He now avoids her like the plague. Hopefully now she'll never have to see his terrified face ever again.

Ten thirty, an hour and a half after the previous time she met up with Genji last Thursday. Elaina paces her room. Stomach empty and mind buzzing with anxiety.

If she doesn't go to the sparring ground, he will think less of her. It will be obvious that she has run away from him, and if she hopes to maintain and pursue the meager friendship she has built with him, she has to go. 

Determined, Elaina walks to the door in a few long steps, throwing it open. She tries to maintain that energy as she moves through the hall.

_Don't think, just do. Just go._

The loud stomping of her boots echo through the hall.

It’s always windy outside on the campus of the Watchpoint. Elaina has tied her hair up in the standard bun she usually wears but some strands were coming loose and getting caught in her eyes.

Genji can be heard before seen. Elaina creeps around the movement structures to peak on the target practice arena.

The green lights decorating his body dash in streaks across the field. Training bots pop up and fall within seconds as she watches in awe.

Suddenly, she can’t catch sight of him. It’s like she's blinked and he’s disappeared, only the corpses of the bots evidence that he ever existed.

“Gakusei,” the voice sounds behind her and she jumps. “You are late. I had lost hope you would come.”

Elaina holds a hand to her chest trying to slow her heart, “Uh, yeah, I’m sorry Sensei.”

He leans casually against the wall she was hiding behind. “I had made us tea, but… I am afraid it has gone cold.”

She follows his gaze over to the weapons cabinet where a teapot and two cups were resting.

“Sensei…” Her eyes swell with regret-powered tears.

“Do not cry.”

“Hm?” She wipes her eyes.

“Learn to make your choices with confidence.”

She nods.

“Do you fear me that much?”

“What?” she gasps. “I’m not afraid of you!”

“Then you fear my past.”

“No!” Her foot stomps the ground. “Sensei, why does it have to be about you?”

He’s taken aback by that. “ _Sumimasen_ ,” he rubs the back of his neck. “What has kept you then? If… you don’t mind me asking.”

“I was…” she closes her eyes to think clearly, “Still deciding if I was comfortable using biotic grasp. It has only pushed people away from me and… I’m not willing to risk a friendship with you for power.”

Ten long second pass before she opens her eyes to look at him. As unreadable as ever, he simply stands, presumably looking at her.

“You think the experience would not bring us closer together?”

The tone of his voice is confusing. Is he choked up? Or is that frustration?

“It may…”

“I spoke with some of the others about the scenario,” he says, now walking towards the teapot. “They agree that you should master the ability, not necessarily for the benefit of Overwatch, but for yourself.”

Elaina follows him but at a slower pace.

“Angela did not think I would be a suitable practice target, and suggested Lena instead.”

Genji pours a cup of cold tea.

“What did you say?”

He chuckles and holds the cup out to her. “I said that I was the perfect target. _Yama no chōjō ni taka-sa no kyōfu o masutā_ _._ ”

Elaina sips the tea absently. It was a kind of fruity green tea, quite refreshing although cold.

“You mean… You still want me to?” She notices that he does not pour himself a cup. Would she have been able to see his face if she had come when the tea was hot?

“I do.” He stands tall before her. “Pride may be an ugly thing, but if I could share the lessons I have learned with more people, I would.”

A war of emotions fights within her; immense excitement at opening the book on this mysterious man, who would never tell her the information plainly; anxiety at what the visions may do to her perspective of him; and lastly, a very small fear in the back of her mind of how graphic the memories may be.

“Okay,” she consents, gripping the porcelain tea cup tightly.

Genji nods and lifts the palm of his left hand to face her.

“Right now?!” she blurts.

“I have a feeling you would convince yourself out of it, if given enough time,” he says knowingly.

She grumbles and sets the tea cup down.

The right hand she raises to meet his shakes uncontrollably. Her skin meets his metal hand and she looks up at him again for confirmation.

“ _Go jiyū ni dōzo_ ,” he affirms.

Her hand flexes slightly, power traveling up her arm to seize him.

First comes his energy, then her eyelids flutter with visions of his vivid life.

Bright memories of my brother when we were kids, with clear skies and polished wood floors. The soft touch of a snow white woman under a cherry tree. Shock and angst at my brother’s betrayal. So much blood, my blood staining the snow. Then suddenly, death. A void, seemingly inescapable. The anger, loneliness and confusion from my second life as a filthy machine hybrid in Blackwatch. 

The sharp edges clear… Peace. Red leaves falling from trees, a shiny fish swimming slowly through water, the sun slowly rising, snow falling on open metal hands.

Elaina snaps her hand back from his, both of her palms coming up to stifle a sob that escapes from her mouth. She stumbles back, Genji blurry in her watery sight.

A few more choked breaths escape into her palms.

Genji lowers his hand, casually shaking it a few times to banish the tingle of biotic grasp. The giant eyes backing away force him to wonder if it was fair to subject her to such nightmares in hopes of not feeling so isolated.

Her feet stop. Then, extraordinarily, she flies at him, arms tight around his waist.

“Elaina!” he gasps.

Elaina cries loudly against him, unable to consider the tactless way she’s behaving, forehead pressed hard against his shoulder.

“Genji…” she mumbles between wails.

“Gakusei,” his hands rest on her shoulders, a request for distance. "Let go of me."

The command only makes her hold on harder. "How can you be so cruel as to not grant this small favor of contact after showing me… such things?"

Genji sighs. "Very well."

The misery she feels is exaggerated by him not returning the embrace.

It takes every part of her awareness to sift through the overflow of emotions and peel herself off of him. “I’m sorry Sensei.”

Elaina takes a few steps back and Genji crosses his arms.

“I am amazed you can see so much in but a few seconds.”

“I guess…” Now unable to hold him, she holds herself instead.

“First, will you share with me what you’ve seen?”

Elaina swallows. “I saw…” She weighs the memories in her mind. Does she go chronologically? Or by degree of emotion? “I saw you and your b-brother. In Japan. And your… transformation. Some of Blackwatch. Then some incoherent images. Very beautiful things, like a fish and snow.”

“Hm,” Genji considers this, hand on his masked chin. “I noticed that you seem to become unaware during these visions.”

Elaina guesses it would be too much to assume that he would be talking about himself after sharing his life with her.

“Mmm… Yeah I can’t really see past the images, and I have difficulty keeping my eyes open.”

“Now,” he lifts a finger and then presents his right hand. “Can you return the stolen energy?”

“Um… yes.” Elaina touches his hand again, this time with her left. The sensation of him against her, even though small, is much more exciting now that it has ever been. 

The excess energy tends to ball up at the base of her stomach and she consciously pushes it from its abode through her arm and back to him.

A hum comes from his throat at the sensation. Elaina likes the noise and gets distracted by it.

After a few seconds, her legs buckle and she falls to the floor.

“Ah!” Genji tries to catch her but she’s already on hands and knees by the time he reaches out. “ _Daijōbudesuka_ _?_ ”

Her left hand comes up to rub her face. “Sorry.”

Genji chuckles, crouching next to her. “Why are you apologizing? _Watashi wa kono enerugī de gorira o kakutōdeshita, kare wa shikashi, sore o kansha shinai to omoimasu_.”

An involuntary yawn strikes her. “I clearly have very little control over both hands.”

“That is why we are training. Take some back,” he holds his left hand in front of her. “I wonder…”

Elaina looks at the hand through half closed eyes.

“Will you see the same images as before?”

“I don’t think I have ever had the pleasure of using biotic grasp on someone twice,” she says sarcastically.

“Well,” he waves her on with the extended hand.

“Sensei,” she begins a complaint.

“ _Īe_ , think about how you will feel after.”

The expulsion of physical fatigue may sound nice, but the emotional stress of witnessing his past again may be too much for her in one day.

“Um… no thank you.”

“Gakusei,” his tone becomes strict. “This is training, not a social gathering.”

“Are you training me to develop apathy towards my emotions as well?” she barks, losing patience with his strict nature.

He recoils slightly.

Elaina struggles to her feet, then bows. “Thank you for the instruction.”

Genji says nothing.

Elaina leaves the field without a backward glance.

Her last thought as she passes through the doorway is the painted white face of the woman she didn’t mention from Genji’s memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sensei: Teacher  
> Kakugo: I am ready  
> Yoshi: Okay  
> Seikai: Correct  
> Aho ga: Fool  
> Matsu: Wait  
> Mi o sutete mo, myōri wa sutezu: Even if I sacrifice my body, I will never sacrifice my honor  
> Migi?: right?  
> Shi no tenshi no yōna: Like an angel of death  
> Sumimasen: Excuse me  
> Yama no chōjō ni taka-sa no kyōfu o masutā: Master a fear of heights at the top of a mountain  
> Go jiyū ni dōzo: As you please  
> Daijōbudesuka: Are you okay?  
> Watashi wa kono enerugī de gorira o kakutōdeshita, kare wa shikashi, sore o kansha shinai to omoimasu: I could wrestle a gorilla with this energy, not sure he would appreciate it though.  
> Īe: No


	6. Hanamura

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Some weeks have passed since sparring with Genji for the first time. Elaina still visits him on the mock battlefield twice a week, but restricts the use of biotic grasp to once per session, despite her Sensei’s winging.

The visions of his life become more and more clear with each session. Despite its graphic nature, his life fascinates her, and before she knows it, she’s uncomfortably infatuated with him. It doesn’t help that he was one of the few people that she spent time with in the compound and that he insists upon seeing her regularly.

It was a bright Thursday morning and Elaina had just finished an oatmeal and banana breakfast with Winston. Today is one of the days she meets with Genji for combat training, or running, or whatever he deems worthy for the day. Out on the sparring field, Elaina could see him, facing away from her, perhaps spacing out. He does not turn when she approaches. 

“Sensei?” she asks. The title does not embarrass now as it had before.

“Ah, Elaina. I’m glad you came. I have a favor to ask of you,” he turns toward her, clearly tense, movements more machine than human.

Elaina cocks her head. “Sure?” His current disposition reminds her of when she first arrived here at Gibraltar. 

“I… You…” He stops, shaking his head in frustration. “You know my brother, yes?”

The first thought that comes to her mind does not belong to her. It’s one of Genji’s, of his brother when they were young and then of his own blood coat Hanzo’s arms, the red contrasting sickeningly with the blue of the dragon.

“I know of him, yes,” is all she can say.

Genji nods and crosses his arms. “ _Gomen'nasai_ , that was a foolish question, you obviously know very little. What you should know is that he is no longer with what was my family’s clan. Leaving shortly after my…” he pauses, considering the words. “After I left, he’s been somewhat of a stray shark. However, I have been tracking him.” 

Elaina’s eyes involuntarily dart away from him.

“I know what you are thinking, Gakusei. It is written all over your face.” He seems a little discouraged in this acknowledgement.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.” Elaina bows, out of embarrassment but also to avoid looking at him.

“Let me assure you that I am not seeking revenge. I wish to help him on his path to restore the honor he has lost, to stop living in the past. And I was hoping you might accompany me. To Hanamura. To Nihon.”

The request catches Elaina off guard. “Why me?” Worry shows on her face again. “Why not Doctor Ziegler?”

Genji turns his head sideways and chuckles. “Why do you assume Angela and not anyone else?”

“Uh…” Elaina didn’t really want to share the jealousy she has felt seeing him and Angela together, almost too good of friends. “You two just seem close.” She looks away, knowing her eyes commonly betray the emotions she’d rather hide.

He is silent for a moment, then continues, “I do not mean to drag you into my own selfish goals, but I feel as though I should not go alone. And you, we, have been training together the past couple weeks and I feel as though we are the most compatible. You may even be able to help me make appropriate decisions with the unfortunate visions I have impressed upon you.”

 _Compatible…_ Elaina thinks, bewitched by a new fantasy.

“Are you sure? I have next to no field experience… I don’t want you to have to coddle me.”

“I trust you to not interfere in a way that might jeopardize my goal. Plus, it will be a good opportunity for me to judge your progress from our training.”

Elaina is unassured by his reasoning. Her mission with Lena, although ultimately failing, did undoubtedly bring the two of them closer together. It feels nearly impossible to pass up an opportunity to get closer to Genji.

“Will I… be using biotic grasp on your brother?” she asks, wondering if this question would insult him further.

“I had thought about that,” he admits. “I do not think it will be necessary. You may obviously use it in self defense.”

Elaina swallows.

“You will accompany me then?” Genji must have seen the decision on her open face.

“O-okay,” she says. It’s selfish of her to decide to join him on this mission not because she wants to help, but because she desires his attention, but figures it ends the same way regardless.

“Truely?” He walks up to Elaina, the tension in his shoulders dissolving before her eyes. Gratitude comes from his hands on both of her shoulders. “ _Arigatōgozaimashita_.”

Elaina and Genji leave later that very day for Nihon. Feeling blessed by good fortune, excitement expresses itself as a wide smile on Elaina’s face. Genji insists that she need not learn any Japanese since they would mostly be undercover, and an ignorant tourist is exactly what she should be striving for. Pre-loading her phone with lessons, Elaina sneaks in some listening in on the plane ride over, then actively searches for the term Gakusei, just to be sure it means what she thinks. It does.

Shortly before coming upon Japan, after a sixteen hour flight, Genji excuses himself from her company, recessing somewhere into the plane. Elaina watches the landscape rise as the plane flies into the busy airport. 

_Shouldn’t Sensei be seated for the landing?_

The plane jars upon touching down. It moves lazily through the airport traffic to a lonely gate at the far end of the terminal. 

Genji sitting back down announces his return and Elaina turns to look at him. 

_He is… dressed?_

He has donned loose black pants and a tight long sleeve shirt. Doesn’t look like he has changed his shoes? Maybe those were just his feet… Elaina wasn’t sure and definitely is not going to ask. Upon closer inspection, his long sleeve shirt has a hood so it might be a sweatshirt? Openly staring at him, it’s no surprise when he asks, “Confused?”

“Does this mean you’re always naked?!” she raises her hands to her mouth in a gasp. “How scandalous Sensei!”

“ _Nani!?_ ” Genji looks down at himself, gripping the front of the hoodie with his fingers. “Of course it doesn’t! Omnics commonly do not wear clothing. Would you consider them naked?”

“You aren’t an omnic,” Elaina states, not convinced. “And yes actually, I would call them naked. It confused me greatly in Britain. Especially as some of them wore clothing and others did not.”

“Hah! Is that so?” he laughs. “You have an interesting sense of equality.”

The pilot announces that they may depart the plane now and Genji leads the way.

Walking through the airport, Elaina speaks up. “So what’s our story if someone asks?”

Genji looks down at her. “We are tourists, come to see the cherry blossoms.”

“I like that.” The white faced lady dances into her thoughts making her blush. “Will you actually show me some cherry blossoms?”

“Perhaps. We don’t have much time before I meet with my brother. What would you like to do?”

“I get to pick?!” Maybe she really will need to play the part of dopey traveler after all.

He laughs at her, accidentally bumping into someone who promptly falls over. “ _Ah, gomen'nasai, daijōbudesuka?_ ”

Elaina’s ears perk up at the sound of him speaking Japanese.

After helping the person up who stares shamelessly at Genji’s mask he answers her, “Why not? I’m sure the new environment excites you.”

 _You excite me,_ Elaina thinks to herself. _The environment only exaggerates it._

“I want to be with you,” she thinks dreamily, hand flying immediately to her mouth after realizing she voiced the declaration aloud.

“Is that so?” He sniggers to himself. “Very well then, _yukō_.” He pulls up his hood and takes her hand. Elaina’s heart beats faster at the physical contact and her smile grows wider. 

Genji leads the two of them through the airport and out the front. He steers them next to a monorail where many are people shuffling by, entering and exiting the public transportation. Pulling her along, the two squeeze in amongst the many bodies occupying the space. He still holds her hand even though she is pressed close up against him in the train car.

 _Is he holding my hand because I’m acting childish or…_ Elaina looks up at him again. The tilt of his head suggests that he stares arbitrarily into the train cab. Assuming he’s not looking at her, she risks staring at him longer. 

_Is he nervous at the upcoming meeting with his brother? Is he as excited about our closeness as I am?_

The pressure of his hand against hers seems to grow despite no physical change.

“Why is it that the only person I actually know is staring at me longer than any stranger would?” He looks down at her, the sharp angle of the visor looking like indignant eyebrows. “And that’s saying a lot Gakusei, I do look quite atypical to most strangers.”

“I’m sorry Sensei,” she looks away. “I just can never tell what you are thinking, your intentions or even what you’ll do next. You could jump out of the train and I couldn’t say whether or not that should be surprising.”

He looks away from her again. “I don’t really think it’s appropriate for me to apologize for that.”

_He’s right. I shouldn’t have said anything. Just stop looking at him, it’s rude._

Elaina decides to make an effort to stay serious, this is a mission, and casually takes her hand from Genji’s to reduce distraction. He almost doesn’t react. Almost. The light of his helmet shifting ever so slightly down towards her. 

Once they reach the station Genji has been waiting for, Elaina simply follows him out. 

They walk through what seems to be a popular downtown area of Hanamura. They pass a ramen shop with a cute giant alien for a mascot, an arcade with bright lights surrounded by the local youths, and a giant gate with a large dual dragon insignia on it. Genji veers off down a less busy road and walks parallel to the giant gate. Once they reach the end of the alley, a set of stairs directs them to an upstairs area of the market. 

Genji begins to walk up the steps, but half way up he stops, placing his hands against a large stone wall, one that undoubtedly connects to the dragon gate. His gaze shifts up. The wall is fifty feet and topped with stone shingles.

“You brought your adhesive gear as I instructed?” Genji asks.

“Yes, Sensei,” she answers automatically.

“ _Totemo yoi_.” He backs up. Beginning at a sprint he runs up the wall, finding footholds that Elaina can’t see, and easily makes his way to the top. Perched up there he looks down at her. “ _Oitsukeru kana_?”

Elaina glares at him, sure that he’s mocking her. She backs up, then runs at the wall as Genji had, unafraid of his judgment. With the training accomplished the last few weeks, she is now much more efficient at climbing with the adhesive gear. Still not as flawless as Genji, but at least she no longer looks like an ape climbing its first tree. The process takes her about three times as long as Genji. Sitting at the top, Elaina is careful not to look at him as she had promised herself earlier. Instead, she looks over the wall to the other side. 

The view is spectacular, if not a little frightening. Before her lies an estate, and a very nicely kept one by the looks of it. Beautiful red accented buildings surround an empty stone garden. 

“To what end are we breaking in here?”

“Breaking in? That would be illegal. No. This is my house.” He slides down the wall then jumps to a nearby tree. 

Elaina follows, engaging and disengaging the adhesive gear to a comfortable downward pace along the stone wall. The wind blows when she lands, but other than that, silence pervades the manor. 

Genji looks around for a moment, then walks towards the left edge of the palace, which is gated by a short wood fence. Beyond the fence, the large city of Hanamura offers itself to them. Genji's home rests at the top of a steep hill, and the drop below the guard rail has to be a hundred feet.

Elaina's eyes follow the rail to… a cherry tree? 

_Coincidence? Probably._

Elaina drags her eyes from its enticing branches to look for their real purpose here. A rock, more fence, another tree, a set of shallow stairs. They’re walking along the fence towards the stairs, her assumed destination but, as with the alley, Genji stops at a seemingly random spot. 

_Under the tree?_

Elaina looks back at Genji, having walked a few steps ahead of him. He hops up onto the big rock next to the cherry tree and holds out his hand, offering help onto the perch beside him. 

_Hm… That’s strange. I can clearly climb onto the rock myself. And he just asked me to scale a fifty foot wall without assistance… Not taking his hand would be rude right?_

Elaina walks up to him and the rock warily, then takes his hand. He sits once she follows him up. 

_Well so much for trying to stay focused and professional,_ she thinks as her body deflates when sitting down next to him.

“Why aren’t there any people here?” Elaina asks him.

Genji stretches and actually lays down, almost lounging. “Everyone knows how foolish it would be to try and break in here. Shimada stopped posting guards.” The cherry blossom petals fall delicately around him. The pink color of the petals contrast his dark clothing elegantly.

Elaina looks away from him, trying not to stare again, out onto the city before her and takes the down time to try and sort through her feelings. 

_Why can’t I stop this rollercoaster of emotions around this man? I am not a stranger to infatuation but it’s beginning to feel horribly inappropriate, not to mention uncontrollable. It might be better to try and distance myself from him until I can either not act on my feelings or find someone else to distract me. Then again, he does seem kind of lonely. But what about Angela? Don’t they seem to be closer than just friends? I can’t recall any of Genji’s impactful memories featuring her. Maybe they are together and just don’t show affection in public. How much am I embarrassing myself by blushing at simple things like hand touches?_

Elaina begins to feel frustrated with herself.

_I haven’t even known him that long. Maybe he doesn’t want a romantic relationship at all. He doesn’t seem like the kind of person to rely on another for anything. But he did invite me on a very personal mission to rescue his brother, how can I not make assumptions from that? Perhaps I should just speak with him maturely about the conflict that I have been feeling. Request some time apart so that I can get a better grip on my emotions._

Elaina chances a look over at the man beside her.

She moves her head side to side. 

_Is his eye light off? Is that even what it would be called?_

His left hand is placed on his stomach, right hand slack at his side, and his head lulls slightly to the side. 

_Is he sleeping? It's very difficult to tell. Should I wake him?_ Although there was no reason not to, he didn't sleep on the plane. _Isn’t this enemy territory? His clan is basically Yakuza._

Elaina reaches out to touch him on the arm.

No reaction.

His sweater is very soft, she passes her hand back and forth, enjoying the sensation. Elaina has never seen Genji so vulnerable before.

Now confirmed that he’s sleeping, she takes the opportunity to stare at him without consequence. 

_Should I though?_

Elaina can't seem to take her hand off him, even though she knows she should. She is metal and he's a magnet. Or is it the other way around? 

Unable to resist, her hand travels delicately along his arm to his shoulder. Then… flat on his chest.

Suddenly, a memory flashes. Not one of hers, one of Genji’s. This same location. The same touch. But that of another woman. Her beautiful white face smiles sensually. Elaina can almost feel the woman touch her own bare chest. No, not her chest. Genji’s chest.

Elaina closes her eyes trying to shake off the memory. Successfully pulling her mind back to reality, her hand still remains on him.

He looks very human in clothes, she observes, eyes peeking open again. Very masculine in the tight sweater. 

Elaina accidently moans a little when trying to take a deep breath to steady herself.

Two parts of her mind battle fiercely for dominance, respect and desire. Unfortunately, impulse seems to control her body and her hand moves further down to his stomach.

She lifts her hand and places it on top of his, swallowing from the bubbling nervousness in her stomach. 

_It’s… Warm?_

Still he doesn’t wake. 

Curious, she lifts his left hand and touches his palm to hers. It was a hand. 

_Not robotic?_

These fingers do not offer the same mechanized joints that the right one does. 

_How have I never noticed before? I know he was a complete human man at one point but… How much?_

She tries to recall a pirated memory from his time in Blackwatch, before he began hiding what was left of his body.

Suddenly the hand contracts, grabbing hers during her investigation. 

Elaina jumps! Like a dead body coming back to life! 

Genji sits up wordlessly, hood falling from his head and looks at her, visor lights on now, still holding her hand almost too tight. The embarrassment she feels from her actions shows blatant on her face.

_Why? Why did I have to touch him? I promised myself not even an hour ago._

Elaina prostrates in front of him. “I am so sorry Sensei,” forehead pressed against the rock. “I-I don’t know why I can’t respect your personal space, I react without thinking.” 

He doesn't respond verbally, but does drop the tight grip on her hand. Elaina remains in the submissive position, unable to bring her shame in front of him. 

“Why?” he asks, almost too quiet to hear.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you,” she mumbles into the rock.

After a few moments he asks again, more firmly this time, “Why?”

“I-I think I just need more discipline. I will work on it, Sensei.” She definitely won’t be spending as much time with him after this mission, her self control is basically non existent.

“No.” Elaina looks up from her position, the tension in his voice confusing her. “Why? _Watashi wa bakade wanai_. I can sense your draw to me.” He stands, looking out over the city. “One you should feel towards another man or woman. A clear sexual desire.” The mask turns down to look at her.

_Gods he gets right to the point, doesn't he?_

The spit seems to coagulate in her mouth as she tries vainly to swallow it. “Are you asking why I think of you sexually?”

“Yes. I may be at peace with what I have become, but…” He hesitates. “To choose me over others, when I am like this. It’s almost insulting.” Genji looks down at his hand, his right one.

Elaina is at loss for words. Caught between trying to explain herself and inquiring at his confusion further.

_At peace?_

Whatever show he usually puts on isn't playing currently. The ambivalence rolls off him like metal pulled from the fire.

Given the current state of the world, a human with an omnic, romantically, is not unheard of these days. She had seen it clear as day in London for God's sake, one of the most politically charged anti-omnic communities on the planet. Genji isn’t even a machine, just a man supported by technology, but even if he was, why wouldn’t it be okay for her to desire physical connection with him? Just as she was about to voice these thoughts, he cuts her off.

“Forgive me, that was my old self talking. I should not judge you on your tastes, or really even know what they are as your Sensei. Forget I said anything.” He hops off the rock to the stone path.

Elaina feels crushed but also terribly frustrated with him.

If only she could go and hide in her room, alone, to carefully pick through her thoughts and feelings. Instead, she begs her resolve to give her the right to yell at him for being so close minded. But can't. She knows it’s not her place, especially after he’s dismissed the topic. Elaina slides off the rock, trying to not look too upset. He walks off and Elaina follows slowly behind him.

They spend the rest of the day walking around the compound that was once Genji’s home. He points out the structures that were not around last time he had been around. He also shows Elaina some less traveled paths around the manor in case she needs to pass in stealth tomorrow night. The plans for the mission are debriefed before they leave.

Apparently, his brother Hanzo, whom Genji showed Elaina a photo of on the phone she didn't know he had in his pocket, comes to the estate every year on the anniversary of Genji’s presumed death. That day is tomorrow, and Genji plans to confront Hanzo, revealing to him that he had not perished as his brother believes.

“What would you like me to do?” Elaina asks him.

“My brother is a very skilled assassin," Genji warns.

Elaina tenses, her body assuming the battle is already upon them. 

“Do not worry. I do not expect you to interfere at all. I brought you as support or to spy. Whichever is needed. I am not sure how he will react to me.” Elaina nods. “Yoshi, let’s head back to the safehouse for the night.” 

The two of them leave the ghostly estate without incident in the same manner they had come. 

The Overwatch safe house in Hanamura is a small living space about ten minutes from Shimada castle. When they get inside Genji excuses himself back out, instructing Elaina to stay put. The safe house clearly has not been used for some time. She sneezes on three separate occasions moving about the house. Restlessness leads her to clean, which really just means opening windows to air out the rooms, while shooing away spiders. 

Perhaps out of bored, perhaps out of anxiety, Elaina ends up falling asleep waiting for Genji to come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gomen'nasai: I'm sorry  
> Arigatōgozaimashita: Thank you very much  
> Nani: what  
> Yukō: let's go  
> Totemo yoi: Very good  
> Oitsukeru kana?: Can you keep up?  
> Watashi wa bakade wanai: I am no fool


	7. The Brothers Shimada

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

A hand on her shoulder wakes Elaina.

“It is time," Genji squats next to her. He has taken off his “street clothes” and now has his regular appearance. The ends of his blades peek from behind his back.

“Wait. Really? I thought it was tomorrow night?” She rubs sand from her eyes, wincing as a particularly sharp one feels like it cuts her.

“As did I, all accounts say he comes in the night. But he moves now, suggesting he visits in the early morning.” Genji stands.

Elaina rolls out of the floor bed, immediately too cold. She jumps up, shivering. 

She equips the adhesive gear, as well as her favorite handgun, Betty, with lethal and non-lethal rounds.

Genji leans against the wall in the common room as she moves about.

When Elaina leaves the bedroom, he hands her a bowl of rice with some grilled fish on it. 

“There is also soup.” He points to the stove top. “I would suggest some if you are quick, it is quite cold out.” 

Elaina does her best to eat fast and does swallow a few mouthfuls of soup. The food is very yummy. It makes her wonder if he made it himself, and if he even eats regularly. They leave the building together soon after she finishes.

Genji is correct, the sharp air bites her skin. They creep through the city to Shimada castle. At the edge of the small downtown area, and still outside the gate, Genji stops her. 

“I will go on ahead. Stay hidden, and don’t forget that if you feel in danger, I can handle myself, please leave. I cannot babysit you tonight Gakusei.” Elaina nods, eyes wide now and very awake. “Just follow the instructions we went over earlier.” He climbs up the side of the building, then jumps between electrical boxes to a high vantage point. 

Elaina looks for her own means of cover and decides to hide amongst some waste bins near the ramen shop.

Some time passes and Elaina grows colder and colder. The lowering temperature plummets her body’s activity, almost putting her to sleep.

Eventually, feet hit the ground. Not someone walking, so she thinks it may be Genji. Glancing past the edge of the trash can, she witnesses Genji's brother Hanzo. As she has never actually seen what Genji's real face looks like, Elaina absorbs this man’s appearance like a sponge. 

Hanzo’s face is much sharper than many of the other Japanese she had seen around. His eyebrows sit heavy on his brow, looking as though they never relaxed from his angry expression. Grey hairs dusting the hair around his ears suggest he's older than he appears. Elaina watches in awe at his smooth movement through the downtown. His beautiful blue kyudo gi whips loosely about his muscular chest. The last thing she picks up is a bow strung on his back before he passes out of sight. 

Elaina closes her eyes, as if it can enhance her hearing. The sound of a body falling tickles her sensitive ears and she quietly passes to the edge of the building. Looking up, she thinks she can make out Genji's form, high above on an electrical pole, but the telltale green lights on his body do not shine. 

A low bell sound echoes through the area. The figure above moves, and in its movement, she confirms Genji’s identity. He climbs the front gate and hops to the other side. Elaina follows. Climbing the gate, she can see a handful of unconscious guards in the stone garden. Almost involuntarily, she looks off to the left, catching a glimpse of the cherry tree she had been under yesterday with Genji. The moonlight reflects stunningly off the pink petals, making the tree seem to glow in the night.

Turning back the opposite direction, Genji hugs the entryway to the next area housing a short pagoda. After seeing him advance through, Elaina drops from the gate, moving to her Sensei’s previous position. Looking in, she can see him waiting atop the pagoda. 

Focusing on her breathing, she waits patiently for his next move.

The form disappears, Elaina only barely catches him climbing in a window next to the main entryway to the castle before vanishing again. This is a cue for her to run off to the right, along a wood walkway to the upper floor of Shimada castle. Genji had shown her this path on their previous visit. 

“He will kneel in offering in the meeting hall. I will confront him then. I would like you to conceal yourself behind the shrine in case he moves that way as an exit or if anyone else tries to come in.” Elaina is in position, remembering Genji’s specific instructions. 

Hanzo is doing something out in the main hall but she dares not look. The position she rests in is exactly where Genji wants her to be, and she stays there, not taking any risks.

“You are not the first assassin sent to kill me. And you will not be the last.” 

That’s definitely not Genji speaking, although the dialect is almost the same. 

Elaina's heart kick-starts in a panic. 

_Did I give myself away somehow? I had been so careful. Is he even speaking to me? Should I run?_

“You of all, to come to Shimada castle, the den of your enemies.” Genji's voice echoes in the hall. 

_Did he reveal himself to save me? No, that was part of the plan right?_

“This was once my home, did your masters not tell you who I was?” A sharp whistle echoes the hall. Previously seeing a bow on Hanzo’s back, Elaina assumes he took a shot at his brother, but doesn't hear it hit. 

_Genji must be okay right? Calm down,_ she tells herself, holding her chest. _Sensei can handle himself, he said so._

“I know who you are, Hanzo.” Another arrow whistles. “I know you come here every year on the same day.” 

Hanzo growls in frustration. More arrows fly. These ones audibly pierce wood. The conflict echoing the hall acts as a symphony to Elkaina’s hyperactive imagination.

“You risk so much to honor someone you murdered!” Now Genji’s shuriken whistle through the air, hit metal, then wood. 

“You know nothing of what happened!” Hanzo yells into the room. The unbearable suspense makes her skin itch and she peaks around the corner. Hanzo’s back to her, she catches sight of another arrow screaming towards Genji. The green light of his visor peaks as he tilts his head slightly towards her, then blocks the arrow with his wakizashi instead of dodging as he was most likely doing earlier. The force of the blow sends him crashing through the standing lantern behind him. 

Elaina ducks back in. 

_Shit, did I just distract him?_

Hanzo's footsteps move him further away, another arrow flies, and then- _Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk._

_No way he can shoot that many arrows at once?!_

Elaina's ears ring with the sound of Genji's wakizashi deflecting multiple blows and anxiety pushes her to look again. 

Genji flips up from a lower area to face Hanzo, then he runs out to the balcony overlooking the city, his brother on his tail.

“I know you tell yourself that your brother disobeyed the clan.” Genji’s voice sounds outside, echoing strangely through the building. Another arrow flies. “And that you had to kill him to maintain order. That it was your duty.” 

Seeing as both men have moved to the outside area, Elaina passes behind the shrine and down a small set of stairs to the edge of the hallway leading to the balcony. Outside she sees Genji, facing what must be Hanzo on the far side out of sight. Either she’s stealthy enough to not catch Genji’s attention or he chooses to ignore her. She suspects the latter.

“It was my duty. And my burden.” Hanzo sends out another arrow. The wakizashi smacks it away, sending it spinning to the side. “But that does not mean I do not honor him!” The body of the bow creaks in a long draw. Elaina doesn’t even see the arrow before it’s been cut in two by Genji’s blade.

Elaina's heart beats fast in her chest, now not with fear but exhilaration. Genji displaying his superiority over his brother, who had once suppressed him, is beyond thrilling to witness. A strange smirk of pride pulls at her lips.

Hanzo’s voice rumbles in dismay and the two brothers run at each other. He swings his bow like a blunt weapon. 

_Why? Is it out of untamable frustration?_

Closer inspection reveals he has no arrows left. 

_Does Hanzo seriously not possess any other weapons? Not even a dagger? And why doesn’t Genji ever use his Ōdachi?_ Elaina wonders, watching them tustle. The fight before her shows Genji only using his wakizashi. 

_Maybe it’s too long in these close quarter combat scenarios? Or perhaps he values it too much and does not wish to damage it? But why carry it then?_

Genji jumps and kicks at Hanzo, sending him crashing into the railing. He leaps, and brings down his weapon in death blow! Hanzo catches it on his bow's arrow notch before it kills him.

“You think you honor your brother Genji with incense offerings? Honor resides in one’s actions.” 

Seeing Genji’s body vibrate with the effort to lower his blade, Elaina fears he might kill Hanzo in his heightened emotional state and won’t be able to forgive himself. 

_That's why he brought me right? Should I interfere?_

Ready to run in, Elaina is halfway in the hallway when she locks eyes with Hanzo. 

Silently cursing, she ducks back from the hall knowing it’s too late. 

“You dare to lecture me about honor?!” Hanzo yells. “You are not worthy to say his name!” Elaina can hear a body get thrown and tumble across the wood floor. 

_Chance another look?_

She leans past the wall and sees Hanzo slide down to pick up the arrow Genji had deflected earlier. 

“ _Ryuuga wagateki wo kurau_!” The very state of the environment drags, as if reality itself bends. At its epicenter, the beautiful dragon tattoo on Hanzo’s arm peels off and comes alive in a blue fire! Two dragons materialize at the arrowhead and spiral towards Genji, filling the air with their very real snarling. Her legs take her up to the entrance of the balcony, fear now clouding judgement.

“ _Ryūjin no ken wo kūrae_!” Genji pulls his Ōdachi out. Again the air shifts, puckering where the blade leaves its sheath. The great sword comes alive with the same force as Hanzo’s tattoo did, with it comes a single green dragon shifting into space. 

The new dragon joins it's brothers before they reach Genji who spins his blade around directing them back at Hanzo, who seems either too amazed or confused to move out of the way. The green dragon splits from its partners and the blue twins rush through their summoner, pushing him back. Hanzo drops his bow in apparent defeat. 

The terror and wonder of the dragons has brought Elaina to the floor, laying flat on her stomach to avoid the conflict. Genji sheathes the Ōdachi.

“Only a Shimada can control the dragons. Who are you?” Hanzo asks accusingly.

Genji dashes towards him, wakizashi landing at Hanzo’s throat. Elaina squeeks in surprise, pressing her hands over her mouth. 

All parties hold their breath.

“Do it then. Kill me,” Hanzo commands.

Seconds feel like hours. Elaina can barely hear anything over her own heart beating in her ears.

“No.” Genji releases his brother from the blade. “I will not grant you the death you wish for… You still have a purpose in this life, brother.” Genji turns towards Hanzo, who perks up at the concession

“No,” he picks up his bow and turns to face his assailant. “My brother is dead.” 

Genji reaches around to the back of his head. A small hiss sounds and the lower part of his mask disconnects. He reaches up. 

Elaina’s heart beats even louder, if possible, in wild anticipation. 

The mask is lowered. Both Hanzo and Elaina’s eyes widen to the point of hurting.

“Genji.” They both say at once.

Genji's face is heavily scarred and has a strange color to it, probably because it doesn’t commonly see the sun. His golden eyes are beautiful and so very wise. And so very sad. The lower half of his face is still covered by a thin black mask, but the outline of his nose and his lips can be seen through it. The shape of his face is softer than Hanzo's, but they share the same frustrated eyebrows. Elaina sighs the breath she had been holding.

“What have you... become?” Elaina, still lying on the stairs, looks from Genji to Hanzo, brows furrowing in loathing at the older brother. Genji lifts his mask and secures it back in place before Elaina can take another look. 

“I have accepted what I am. And I have forgiven you.” He walks to his brother and places a hand on his shoulder. “Now you must forgive yourself.” Genji walks away from him to the edge of the balcony. “The world is changing once again Hanzo, and it’s time to pick a side.” He leaps from the balcony to the nearest rooftop, the pink sunrise behind him. Hanzo watches him go.

Urgency runs through her veins as Genji leaves. Elaina scrambles up from the stairs back into the main hall. She doesn't expect or hear Hanzo chase her but still moves quickly toward the pagoda in front of the castle.

“Real life’s not like the stories our father told us, you are a fool for believing it so!” Hanzo yells, confirming Elaina's belief that he has ignored her departure.

She slows her pace in the courtyard, near the pagoda. Thinking back on what she has witnessed, now distracted by those thoughts, she stops and leans on the pagoda’s wall. 

Genji... Hanzo. 

Why didn't Hanzo rejoice at the sight of his long lost brother? The despair and sorrow shadowing him his whole life has been drained from him in this simple meeting. Genji even confided that he forgave him! And still he reacts with hostility! What is this man trying to achieve in life? He was supposed to be trying to restore his honor but now… Elaina is not so sure, and in her unsureness, wonders if Genji feels the same.

The deep thought drowns out the whistle of the arrow and her eyes snapped open just as it pierces her in the leg. Her mouth opens to release a scream but her throat hitches and coughs a breath out instead. The leg instantly buckles, and she hunches down to the ground, wincing. Feet land and walk towards her, undoubtedly Hanzo’s. 

"Leave it to Shimada to send a spy." The older brother stands next to her, then leans down and pulls the arrow out ruthlessly, inviting an actual scream from Elaina this time. Notching it again and pointing the bloody tip at her face he continues, "Come for my life? I’ll take yours first.”

Elaina looks up at him. No sign of sympathy or humanity crosses his face. Almost pure disgust radiates from his expression. 

"Leave her, Hanzo." Relief floods Elaina at the sound of his voice. She presses her hand to the wound in an attempt to reduce the bleeding, but does not move beyond that. 

Genji's voice comes from a floor above her in an adjacent building. Hanzo leaves a hyper aggressive stare on her before looking up at his brother.

"Who is she Genji?" He crosses his arms. At least he was no longer threatening her with his bow.

"She is with me. That is all you need to know."

Hanzo scoffs looking back down to Elaina. "Why did I think you might stop chasing skirts? Got this one in deep do you?" Elaina almost laughs at his assumptions but the pain and blood loss from the wound staunch the humor.

"She is a comrade… nothing more," Genji claims. Elaina winces, and not from the wound on her leg.

Hanzo looks back up at Genji. "You're lying."

"No. And she is not a threat to you. Leave her."

"She wields a firearm." Hanzo points out.

"Yes, and although you have injured her, she does not draw it on you."

_Is that pride lurking beneath his voice?_

"Why doesn't she speak for herself?" He crouches down next to her. Hanzo’s face is so close, she can smell Jasmine on his breath. "Are you a coward?"

"I know my place. And it is not between you and your brother," Elaina retorts, glaring at him.

"Then why come?"

Elaina looks away from him, sure that her feelings for Genji would manifest on her face from this question.

"He asked it of you, didn't he?" A cruel sneer opens on his face. “Isn’t the first time he’s risked his woman’s life with a senseless request.”

_His woman??_

Knowing this recount should stand as a warning, she focuses instead on the ownership Hanzo thinks his brother has over her.

A silence passes and a milky dizziness enters Elaina's head, clouding her thoughts. She closes her eyes and focuses on breathing evenly.

"How can I even try to begin to trust you when you lie over such foolishness as your own infatuations?" Hanzo looks up to Genji, spits on the ground, and stalks back into the castle. Genji hops down to Elaina's side.

"I'm sorry Sensei," Elaina immediately apologizes.

Genji lifts her in his arms and begins to walk to the front gate. "Do not speak."

He's mad, and she really doesn't want to burden him further. The once dreamy thought of being in his arms now makes her uncomfortable beyond belief. "I can walk."

" _Damare_!" He growls down at her. At the front gate he shifts her weight to his left arm, then lifts his right hand to the chain. In a show of force, he yanks the metal rings of the chain apart and pushes the great wood door open with his shoulder. He resumes his hold on her outside the gate and begins to jog back to the safe house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryuuga wagateki wo kurau: The dragon consumes my enemies!  
> Ryūjin no ken wo kūrae: Taste the blade of the dragon god


	8. Safehouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Back at the small apartment, Genji opens the door with a voice command. Striding through the kitchen, he passes into the small room serving as the bedroom. He gently places Elaina on the floor-bed then turns back to the hall, but does not close the door, suggesting he will return. 

Elaina's leg is now wet and sticky with long blood loss. The cold air outside has frozen the blood against her, the leg now feeling like a meat sack. She has been attempting to maintain pressure on the arrow wound to stop the bleeding but puncture wounds were especially painful and it was hard to keep it up. 

Genji returns with gauze and medical wrap, as well as a bottle of what she assumes is rubbing alcohol. "Show me your wound Gakusei." He kneels next to her on the futon.

 _Take my pants off? No thanks_. 

"Genji please. Just let me do it." He probably scowls at her from behind the mask.

"Now Gakusei." His voice is firm.

Elaina curses loudy in her head. She unbuckles the tactical belt that holds her handgun and then her pants. Placing a hand on the ground, she lifts her hips so her pants may slide out from under her, but weakness takes her and she quickly falls back to the bed. Genji tsks and moves behind her, lifting her under the shoulders. 

Elaina sighes, wishing he would just leave her be and go sulk like she knows he wants to.

The second attempt successfully removes the pants out from under her butt but progress quickly stops as the waistband makes contact with the puncture wound, Elaina gasping from the pain. Genji places her down again then moves to the injured leg, pants still mostly on. His wakizashi flashes and quickly slices through the waistband. Grabbing both sides of the cut he pulls, tearing down the pant leg.

Elaina lays down putting both hands over her face. Tears threaten her eyes. For once she is grateful for his masked face.

The arrow took her in the back of her right thigh, in the meat of the hamstring. Once the pants end at her ankles he pauses. His hands work deftly to undo her boot laces.

Genji's basically undressing her at this point and she's had about enough. She snaps up into a sitting position. 

"Genji. Stop." She pushes the last of her energy into her voice, hoping to sound as confident as possible. His hands freeze, looking at her, obviously unsure if he should. A sigh comes from him and he slumps against the wall, face turned away.

Elaina observes him, in her underwear, leg out and still bleeding. He just sits there, one knee up, arm across it, not looking anywhere in particular, but undeniably not at her.

Elaina grabs the gauze and the small bottle of rubbing alcohol. Turning on her hip, she looks behind her leg and carefully pours some of the alcohol upon it. A sharp intake of breath brings Genji’s attention back to her but he does not move beyond that. 

Elaina presses the gauze to the wound and tries to reach for the bandage wrap that’s a little out of her range. She rolls to her right side, hand keeping the gauze in place, and snatches the roll off the floor next to the futon. Working in silence, she winds the bandage around the injured leg. 

Finished, she lays back on the soft bed in a huff. 

_What now?_

Genji never told her the full plan. Elaina knows they came to see his brother Hanzo and try to set him on the path of righteousness. But in Elaina's eyes, Hanzo seems more bitter than ever. 

_Should we go back out after him again? Or just leave him to decide for himself what the right thing to do is?_

It didn't seem characteristic of Genji to talk about it so, "Sensei?"

Genji takes a breath. "Hm?"

"Does your brother speak Japanese?"

A small chuckle escapes him. Elaina smiles to herself, pleased that the question amuses him.

"Why wouldn't he?" Genji answers with a question.

"It's just… I thought since you both grew up here in Japan, that you would speak to each other in your native language. He doesn't even have your same accent."

"A fair thought. I have told you that he is a lone shark, yes? He does not spend any time in Nihon, besides the anniversary of my death. After ten years apart, I believe English is his primary language now."

The two sit in silence for a few heartbeats.

"Sensei?"

"What is it Gakusei?"

"I'm sorry Sensei.” Elaina longs to comfort Genji physically, but knows he would never allow it.

Genji sighs heavily. “I really thought… Yes, he has always been power-hungry and hyper-controlling, but…” Elaina sits up to better listen. He has both knees up now and his hands hold either side of his head. 

“You think he’ll pick the wrong side?”

“ _Kuso, watashi wa shiranai_.” Elaina looks away from him, she doesn’t know much japanese but it sounds like dissent. 

“Maybe we could speak with him again?” Elaina didn’t think Genji would want to but felt the need to impress the idea that he had other options besides doing nothing.

“No, I have interfered an appropriate amount. Anymore and he would think I am trying to manipulate him.” He takes his hands from his head, leaning back, eyes on the ceiling.

Elaina fidgets, unsure what to do next. “Will you sleep?” she asks. Once wondering if he even needs to, now that she has seen it before, it seems like good advice. He doesn’t say anything. “The peace of sleep will comfort you. In anger, you only defeat yourself.”

Genji huffs what might be a chuckle. “You sound like my master.” 

Elaina blushes slightly at the acknowledgement. 

Now standing, he addresses her, “I will take your guidance to heart, my student.” He reaches back to remove the large blade and its sheath from his back as he walks to the side of the futon. Next, he takes his wakizashi in his other hand, then carefully places both on the ground next to the cushion.

_Does he mean to sleep in this futon? With me?_

The next equipment he removes is his chest guard. Elaina wonders if this is how he readies for bed. And finally, he lifts his hands to the back of his head. 

The helmet hisses slightly. Elaina watches him in fascination as she had the first time he revealed his true self. Except to her amazement, both hands hold the helmet and he lifts up to pull the entire piece off, as opposed to just the lower half.

Elaina's heart beats loudly in her ears again. Genji has reprimanded her before about staring at him, her subconscious reminds her, as she’s basically watching him undress. 

Beneath the helmet, which is now tucked under his arm, his head is covered with a tight black mask, showing only his eyes. The details of his nose, mouth and head are still obscured by the fabric. He looks down at her, the sadness from the mission still clouding his golden eyes. Elaina smiles up at him to try and reintroduce a little positivity. 

In a quick motion, Genji pulls off the final barrier between him and Elaina’s hungry eyes. An involuntary gasps escapes her lips.

“That was rude of me, please forgive me.” She forces herself to pull her eyes away from him even though her brain screams at her to take in the details of his human form. Genji walks quietly from the room. 

Elaina verbally abuses herself for gasping at seeing him. She hopes he doesn’t think it was out of disgust or anything and considers saying so. The brief vision of his human face swims in her mind. Her eyes close to visualize it better. 

The most noticeable thing is the scars on his face, hence why gasping was so rude. The next features were his slightly parted mouth, his thick disappointed eyebrows, and lastly his tousled black hair. 

_Ah…_ she sighs as the image ripples behind her closed eyes.

Will he return? He left the door open again. The sound of running water from a sink suggests he’s in the washroom. Elaina looks around the room, eyes landing on his blades carefully placed on the floor. She scoots to that side of the bed to get a better look, wincing slightly at the leg injury. 

The earlier fight demonstrated his Ōdachi flashes green when drawn. The wakizashi does not flash she remembers as well, seeing it plenty of times when sparring with him herself. Both blades, from what she can see, are exquisitely made, and undoubtedly kept in perfect condition. They possess an interesting blend of simple elegance with modern technology. The sheath has Kanji on it that Elaina cannot read. Her hand reaches for one of the blades.

“Do not,” Genji’s voice commands from the doorway and Elaina’s hand snaps back. He has a towel around his neck and his hair stands more erect than it had earlier. 

“You are akin to a child. Always messing with what you shouldn’t when I am not looking.” The sound of his voice outside of his helmet feels so real.

Elaina’s face scrunches at the insult. Was that in reference to when he was sleeping or when she got caught by Hanzo?She’s tired of apologizing to him and instead just moves back to her side of the bed, hugging her legs to her chest.

Genji moves from the doorway to his side of the bed and kneels down. Elaina looks at him from the corner of her eye.

“It has occured to me,” Genji begins. “That I do not trust you with my sleeping body.” 

“What?!” her head snaps up to look at his face. His eyes shine in a telling way. She supposes that's fair considering what happened yesterday. “Sensei… Please, I-”

“I will sleep elsewhere or you will, Gakusei.”

Elaina’s face cannot hide the disappointment that invades her. She feels deserving of this treatment and tries to be mature. 

“Okay, I wasn’t really planning on sleeping anyways. I slept some last night and don’t feel that tired.” She tries to get up from the silky floor bed and slips, landing on her injured leg. A sympathetic look flashes on Genji's face in her peripheral vision. 

“Stay, I will leave.” The floor creaks under his weight as he stands back up.

“But,” Elaina begins, but he is gone before she can finish the thought.

The next morning, or, she supposed, it was actually late the same day, Elaina limps from the bedroom to the common area. The light from the windows suggests early evening. Genji is sitting against one of the walls, blades in his lap, helmet now back in place. The clothes he had donned on the plane yesterday now also cling to him. The room smells faintly of dust, no offering of home cooked meal this time.

“We will leave soon. Ready yourself,” Genji speaks without looking up at her slumped form in the hall entrance. 

Elaina nods, she turns around back to the room, eyes tearing up and trying to walk as normally as possible.

“Um,” Elaina pauses. “I’m sorry Sensei. I didn’t bring spare pants.”

He doesn’t respond and Elaina swallows nervously.

“I’ll just make do,” she mumbles, moving back to the bedroom.

“Wait Gakusei,” Genji calls to her.

She reluctantly faces him again, waiting for his solution.

The blades move from his lap to the floor as he stands. He then undresses in front of her.

Elaina can feel the color change in her face, both at him undressing and the thought of wearing his clothes.

“A-ah…!” Elaina tries to speak, to stop him.

The pile of clothes are pressed upon her.

“B-but…” A tear falls down her cheek.

“It’s fine. Take them.”

Elaina hugs the fabric against her. Genji turns back to repossess the blades, his metallic body shining in the faint sunlight.

“Gakusei,” he looks over his shoulder at her. “Move. Now.”

Elaina turns quickly back to the room.

Once in privacy, she looks down at the clothes. Bringing the fabric up to her nose, she tries to discover his unique scent. Unfortunately, they yield none.

The return trip is a wordless event. The two of them pass through Japan without stopping. Elaina doesn’t attempt to speak to Genji, although he does sit next to her on the plane despite the dozens of empty seats. 

After a long ride full of unwelcome thoughts plaguing Elaina nonstop, the plane lands at the small airport in Gibraltar. The day seemed to want to reflect her mind as the sky was a grey blanket over the world.

Upon exiting the plane shortly after Genji, Elaina sees someone waiting near the runway. Genji moves toward Angela who holds her arms out to him. They embrace and walk toward the shuttle leading back to the base, not even looking back at Elaina. 

What a fool she is. Of course they are together. She had seen it. Genji never denied it. He probably didn’t say anything to save her feelings. Maybe he’d brought her instead of Angela because he didn’t want to risk Angela’s safety. Elaina’s vision blurs and she closes her eyes, welcoming the sadness now wettening her face. She hugs his clothes against her. Guess she’ll be waiting for the next bus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuso, watashi wa shiranai: Shit, I don't know


	9. Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)

The next week comes and goes slowly. Elaina, who previously spent most of her time with Genji training and Angela studying, now avoids them at great effort. The people about the base notice her dark aura and give her a wide berth. She spends a lot of time running alone, when Genji is not training, and now studies with Winston. Although she has a different field of study than him, it's nice to work with another body nearby to stave off depression.

One such afternoon in the war room, below Winston’s office, he speaks up.

“Not that I don’t enjoy your company Elaina, but…” Winston says. “But you seem so dispirited all the time.”

“Oh,” Elaina sighs, looking up from a book. “I’m sorry, would you rather I...” 

_Did he just say he enjoyed my company? Or…?_

“No no no,” he waves his hands, breaking her brief consideration. “I’m not complaining, I am just concerned. What can I do to help you feel better? Do you want to talk about what happened in Hanamura? Do you want some peanut butter?”

Elaina sighs again. “I just… Assumed something I shouldn’t have and it put me and Sen-, Genji, in a weird place.”

Winston ponders this. “It’s been a week and you haven’t spoken to him?”

Elaina nods as she folds and unfolds a dog ear in her book.

“Maybe he thinks you’re upset at him and is waiting for you to reach out?” he suggests, afraid to ask her for specifics. 

“Maybe…” Elaina doesn’t really feel like elaborating and the conversation about her troubles ends there. Later, upon leaving, she apologizes again for her sour mood. Daily reading would probably now take place outside.

Twelve days after returning from Japan with Genji, Angela returns from a mission in Egypt that Elaina didn't even know that she had gone on. With her she brings a very intimidating woman: tall, dark skinned, with a tattoo under her eye. The woman is a stone wall, her gaze never seems to waiver from looking forward, unless prompted by Angela when pointing or introducing her to others. Elaina observes her interactions from a second story window that looks down upon the courtyard. Winston and Lena are out there greeting her, apparently she is not a stranger. Genji is not seen, and Elaina continues the walk back to her room.

The very next morning, after eating Captain Crunch with Lena in the kitchen, Elaina strolls by the medical center on her way to an office holding a reference book she had been meaning to grab before going to read outside. 

Lena had informed Elaina of Fareeha, the scary woman she had seen yesterday returning with Angela from Egypt. The daughter of another notable Overwatch officer, Ana, that had perished years ago, Fareeha was the captain of a security agency known as Helix. Lena supposed Angela was attempting to enlist Fareeha and Helix Security to Overwatch's cause. 

"Isn't Overwatch underground right now since our actions are seen as illegal? Why would she broadcast our activity to another organization?" Elaina protests as Lena voices her opinion on Fareeha’s appearance.

"Well maybe she's just trying to convert Fareeha? You know, take her from Helix."

"Maybe." Elaina didn't know anything about Angela’s relationship with this woman, so she didn't feel like she could infer more about her intentions. But Angela didn’t seem the type to enforce her ideals upon others, therefore, Elaina did not think that the visit was business based.

Now passing by the door leading to the surgical bay, Elaina isn’t expecting to catch anyone inside but a large figure brings her back to the small window into the surgery room. Peeking back in she sees… 

Elaina’s hand flies to her mouth in a gasp. Her body almost tumbles in a crouch on the floor, hoping not to be seen. Thoughts race through her head, as they usually do, but this time faster than she can comprehend.

The door shoots open and the tall terrifying figure of Fareeha stands over her, scowling. The black leather jacket she wears shines in the light of the hall.

"I'm v-very sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Quickly righting herself, she makes to rush down the hall, hoping to escape punishment from spying. 

"Elaina?" Angela's voice rings out from the room. The sound of heels on the hard surgery floor announces her rush to the doorway. Although Angela is less frightening than her partner, Elaina doesn't really want to speak about the fiasco with her either. 

"Oh don't go, I've missed you!" the voice gets louder as it approaches.

Angela pushes past Fareeha into the hall. In a pencil skirt, with her hair in a messy bun, her button up shirt is completely open exposing her fittingly white lace bra with the tops of her breasts poking out. Elaina can't help but look down at them, invoking a grumble from Fareeha. 

"Angela, I'm confused," Elaina hesitates to ask, now looking up from her chest. "What about Genji…?"

Angela expresses an apologetic smile to Elaina. "Yes come in please, I have been meaning to speak with you about him since he came to me after the two of you returned from Japan. But I had to go to Egypt and well, time got away from me." She turns to go back into the room, but Fareeha stops her and buttons her shirt. 

"Honestly Angela," she whispers, disappointment on her face. 

Elaina hovers uncomfortably in the hall waiting for them to finish. Once complete, all three return to the room and close the door. The surgical bay is empty, obviously, and is poorly lit for once, a single desk lamp is the only bulb giving off light.

"First," Angela starts and perks up, "Let me introduce to you Fareeha, my partner." Her eyes soften as she looks over at her lovingly. The woman does not extend a hand but instead bows formally to Elaina. 

_Partner?_

"Anyways, due to his unique circumstances I do feel largely responsible for Genji and his emotional state. I cannot say that I do not love him,” Fareeha grimances, “but I have never been able to give him the intimacy he had once desired from me." Angela looks down, unspoken memories flashing in her eyes. "As you may have guessed, I do not find the male gender all that enticing." She giggles a little to herself, considering what Elaina just witnessed not a few moments ago. 

"Unfortunately, I believe that Genji has taken my rejection of him not by my gender preference but by his physical being. I mean obviously his half man half machine state." Angela pauses. Fareeha is looking away from both of them, arms crossed, clearly unhappy with the topic. "The transition was very difficult for him considering his lifestyle before, and I tried to support him as much as I could but…"

Elaina’s thoughts cloud her mind again in this short break of words. Genji, newly born as a cyborg, seeking the love he cannot feel for himself from another, failing, and being consumed by loneliness. His stolen memories come to her as her eyes close. Darkness, anger, confusion… death. Much death. She shudders, then rubs the sides of her arms with both hands, attempting to shake off the stolen memory. 

"As much as I wanted him to seek solace in anyone who could grant him the love I know he deserves, one I could not give him, he would not. After our final conversation about our relationship, he cut himself off from everyone, spending all of his time alone. Then shortly after, disappearing entirely.

"I was honestly surprised when he returned for the recall. He seems well now after spending his time with the Shambali. More at peace with his body, but I worry that working in Overwatch again may disturb whatever fragile shell he has built around himself." She stops again. 

"Elaina." Elaina forces herself to return Angela’s gaze. "I know it’s selfish of me to ask but, I haven't seen him ask anything of anyone except myself since I’ve known him. When he asked you to join him to confront his brother, I was…” Her eyes dart from side to side, seeking the correct emotion, “Just amazed. And very excited to finally see the man I saved, capable of taking his own life into his hands. Accomplishing goals, fixing his broken past. And not alone! 

“Please," she moves to Elaina, encircling her hands with her own. "Give him the support that I cannot. Embrace him to smile again, and look forward to another day. Another day spent with you.”

Elaina looks away from her pleading face. Of course she wants that but… "I am not so sure he will allow me to," she confides, looking back into Angela’s desperate eyes. "He responds to my interest in him with anger and confusion. I'm not sure me pushing him further would have the desired outcome."

"But you do care for him, do you not?" Angela squeezes her hands tighter and moves even closer to her. Elaina turns her head to the side to prevent bonking noses with her. 

"I do.” She swallows. “Very much so.”

"And I'm sure you haven't actually expressed these emotions to Genji out of fear of coming between me and him, am I correct?" 

"That's… true but not it in its entirety. He has assumed a position of teacher and student with me, and my attraction to him felt scandalous. Any interest he has expressed in me I had assumed was as a master coaching their pupil."

"That's a fair assumption, but you can't say he has gone further than that by including you in his personal matters? I cannot stress enough, as someone who has known him for years, that you are clearly special to him."

Angela’s words spark the previously dying embers in her chest. "I haven't spoken to him since the mission. I-I'm afraid Angela. Now knowing he's not with you, I feel as though I have abandoned him, and so soon after failing to reunite with his brother." 

“I understand your hesitation, but the longer you wait the worse it will get. He might just disappear again,” Angela warns her.

Elaina is caught between running to him immediately and hiding from the world completely in her room. "Do you know… where he is?"

A wide smile comes to Angela’s face. "At this hour, he’s probably meditating outside." Fareeha rolls her eyes.

Elaina leaves the surgery. Her stomach feels so heavy from guilt and fear that she has trouble walking. Making her way outside as Angela instructed, she looks for high places, as he tends to be where others cannot reach him. In anticipation of this, she returns to her room to retrieve the adhesive gear before continuing her search. 

Many of the workers about the watchpoint witness her actions with confusion, and after spending too much time climbing to the tops of buildings, she strangely finds him where they first conversed, at the cliff’s edge. Taking deep breaths, Elaina slowly approaches him, trying to organize her thoughts and to stop her body from shaking.

"S-Sensei…" she stutters. Her stomach cramps at the sound of her own pathetic voice.

"Ah... Gakusei," he turns his head sideways to glance over his shoulder at her. "Sit with me." His attention turns back to the ocean as she slowly walks to his side and sits down next to him, closer than she usually would.

"Take a deep breath, you are visibly rigid," he instructs.

Elaina does this, the salty air does actually calm her slightly. They sit this way for a while, waves breaking what would be silence. 

Finally, she turns towards him after taking another deep breath. "I'm sorry I have been avoiding you lately." Genji lowers his hands from his meditation into his lap and looks at her.

"I thought…" She takes yet another breath, savoring the salt that peppers her tongue. "I felt like nothing but a burden in your mission to rescue your brother from himself, and when we came back and you went to Angela, I assumed that she was your…" Her embarrassment at this confession forces her to look away from him. 

"I thought that you asking me to accompany you on such a personal mission meant more than it did,” she continues, determined to finish what she started. “And when you rejected me at the safe house I thought that maybe putting some distance between us would help me get over the fact that I was nothing but a student to you."

"Rejected you at the safe house?"

"I mean… it felt like rejection," she mumbles. “And you didn’t speak to me at all afterwards.”

He considers this. "What brought you back to me?" Offering no explanation for his previous behavior.

Elaina looks back at him, but meets his mask. It yields no intentions behind his question.

"Angela," she admits.

A small chuckle comes from him and he shakes his head slightly. "She would do that."

"I have been very confused lately and I know it might be a lot to ask but… Genji, may I be with you?" Although she doesn't look directly at him, she can see him cock his head at the question.

"I am sorry Elaina, but I am not seeking an intimate relationship."

Elaina exhales the breath she had been holding after asking. "And I knew that." She hugs her knees to her chest. "I just thought you might be as lonely as me."

He elegantly rises above her on two feet and looks down. "I have no doubt in my mind that I am more lonely than you, Gakusei."

Elaina scrambles up next to him, noticing her clumsy body. "Then why?"

He pauses, considering his words. "What do you mean when you ask to be with me? You are with me right now, we spend much time together sparring, is that not enough?"

Elaina steps closer to him, and risks placing her hands on his chest, looking up at him. "I want to hear your thoughts. I want to share your meals. I want to see your face." She inhales deeply. "I want to share your bed." Her eyes beg his faceless mask for consent. 

Genji brings his hands up and lifts hers from his chest. "No, Gakusei. I cannot do these things for you. Please forgive me,” he seems to choke the words out and his neck contracts in a nervous swallow. He turns and walks away without letting her answer, leaving her in the cold wind. 

The tears hit her fast and she doesn’t bother wiping them away. The ocean air embraces her and she sits back down on the cliff’s edge.

Elaina watches the sun lift high from the horizon, wondering what to do next. 

_Must I keep avoiding him? Should I pursue him even harder? Maybe I should just go back to Seattle. Or maybe I could attempt to resume the casual relationship we shared before the Hanamura mission. But that relationship was unstable already._

The crunching of gravel announces the approach of another. Elaina turns and sees Lena walk up.

"Oh hey Lena,” she wipes her nose and eyes. Elaina hasn’t seen much of her since returning from Hanamura.

"You'll catch a cold out here dearie." Lena holds her hand out to Elaina. "Me and Emily were gonna snuggle and watch Dexter's Laboratory, will you join us?"

Elaina smiles at her, taking the offered hand. "I'd like that." They walk hand in hand back to the compound. "Hey Lena, how'd you know where I was?"

"Hm? Oh, Genji mentioned he saw you and was worried." Lena gives her a look.

Elaina huffs a sigh.

"What will you do now?" Lena inquires wide eyed.

"Hm? About what?" 

Lena blinks in front of her, jumping up and down. "About Genji! Duh!" 

Elaina chuckles, only now noticing how cold she is. "I honestly do not know. I don't think I can stay away from him but... I am also not keen on constantly making him uncomfortable around me." 

"Ugh! Men! So out of tune with their own emotions! Sooo difficult to communicate with." Her visible frustration is satisfying to witness and Elaina can't help but feel better. 

"I have an idea! Let's ask another man!" Lena suggests.

"Uh…" Elaina cannot think of another man akin to Genji in the slightest. They make their way into Lena's room in the compound. Unlike Elaina's room, Lena was granted a small living space, kind of like a flat. Emily walks out of what is probably their bedroom as they arrive, and greets them warmly.

She hugs Elaina and immediately recoils, “Lord, girl where have you been?” Emily runs off and grabs a fuzzy blanket off the couch.

“Didn’t you hear Genji tell me at the door that she was sitting out in the cold?” Lena asks.

“I was busy making the bed you destroyed this morning actually and did not catch that line of conversation,” Emily replies, extra sassy. She throws the blanket over Elaina’s head, blinding her, and then resumes the hug from earlier.

The rest of the day and night are full of giggles and brainstorming amongst the three of them. At the end of the night, Elaina agrees to meet again tomorrow with Lena to seek out another man's advice on the matter.


	10. Advice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)

"Psst." Lena pokes her head out from around the corner of the hall in which Elaina’s room is in. Elaina smiles at her as she enters the public space.

"Yes, yes, I see you." She closes her door quietly, then makes her way towards Lena when one of the doors next to her opens, making her jump. Genji stands in the doorway, now looking down at her, almost menacingly. He strides out into the hall, stopping only just before running into her.

"S-Sensei! Sorry to disturb you." Elaina quickly averts her eyes and tries to continue on.

"Gakusei," his voice rings unsteady behind her. "May I request your presence on the field today?"

Her heart beats a little faster and she chances a glance back at him. "I-I will be there, Sensei." She swallows hard. Genji nods and returns to the room he came out of. 

_Is that his room? I knew Jesse was in this hall, as well, but have never seen Genji around this area before._

"Ooooo," Lena is suddenly blinking to her side. 

"Alright Lena where are we going?" Elaina tries to push her from the hall before Lena starts talking too loudly about things she’d rather not have Genji hear.

"The bar!" Lena squeals excitedly.

"Eh…? This early?" Elaina looks back down the hall, wondering what her Sensei could be doing now.

Elaina and Lena make their way out of the compound and take the shuttle to downtown Gibraltar. Lena waves her over to a local pub once they reach midtown.

It was dimly lit inside, as a pub probably should be, and it seems to have only just opened as she couldn’t see anyone around beside the waiter and the assumed kitchen staff. Elaina can smell eggs and wonders if anyone actually ate here this early. 

Lena pauses unsure, clearly looking for something. Elaina’s stomach growls as she drools from the breakfast scent.

"Hmm…" Lena mumbles. "Ah!" 

She pulls Elaina towards a booth on the far right of the room. Elaina offers an apologetic smile to the waiter, who was on his way to greet them. 

Lena plops down into the secluded booth and pulls Elaina down next to her. Sitting across the table from her is… 

"Jesse?!” Elaina exclaims. His token cowboy hat raises enough for her to see his face smiling underneath. “Lena, why did we come all the way down here to sit with McCree? He literally sleeps two doors down from me." He had probably been on the shuttle they took to get here too. Elaina sighs, tilting her head back, looking at the ceiling, already accepting this endeavor as a failure.

"He insisted," Lena rolls her eyes but then quickly assumes an apprehensive position, starring McCree down. 

"Good evening ladies," McCree leans across the table with a cigar in his mouth, advertising his bedroom eyes.

"It's not even close to evening," Elaina protests, furrowing her brow and crossing her arms.

"Shh!" Lena shushes her. "Thank you for helping us McCree, as I said before, we need some advice on men."

McCree leans back into a slack position, puffs his cigar, then removes it from his mouth. The cigar’s smell floats over to Elaina and her stomach gives a heave. "Men? Or cyborgs?"

"Lena! What did you tell him?" Elaina rounds on her.

"I only said men! I never mentioned Genji!"

"Lena!"

"Oh come on dearie, it's not like we know any other cyborgs…"

McCree puts the cigar back in his mouth, huffs a laugh, and then shrugs. "Whole compound has been gossiping about you two since he took you to Japan with him."

Elaina purses her lips and supposes that's fair, remembering her short conversation with Winston. She also supposes it would be better to talk about Genji specifically instead of just men since he is rather atypical. Plus, McCree was in Blackwatch with him, so besides Angela, he might even be the most insightful person to ask! Elaina smiles at these revelations.

"Alright Jesse, what have you got for me?" Elaina leans forward, ready to get down to business.

"First," he takes the cigar out of his mouth. "What are you hoping to accomplish?"

Elaina is taken a little aback by this question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he waves the waiter over. "Is this a pantie run or are you in for the long haul?" The waiter places what looks to be a highball in front of him. 

Elaina extends her neck out looking at him like it should be obvious. Wait, she pulls her head back again, eyes widening. 

_How can McCree think a pantie run is even possible? Unless, in his time in Blackwatch, he knows more about Genji’s anatomy than I do?! Would Angela tell me if I asked her?_

The stolen memories from their combat sessions offer no evidence of how human he actually is, beside the evidence she had gathered of his left arm. She shakes her head of these thoughts and looks back at McCree. 

"Long haul."

The waiter has left by the time she answers and Elaina stares at his leaving form with regret.

McCree nods and sips his whiskey. "Tell me about your relationship so far."

"Well, it started with him offering to train me. In combat and movement."

"And… What is it now?"

"Uh…" she thinks back. "Actually it's probably still just that. He is my Sensei for the most part."

He smiles and nods knowingly, like this is one of the fantasies he has played out in his head before. Elaina blushes.

"I think you have the wrong idea Jesse, I don't just think he's hot because he's my teacher."

"Really? Seeing him flex and jump around and pin you to the ground doesn't get you going?" He smirks mischievously.

"Well," Elaina looks away, scratching her head nervously.

All those things do actually happen and she can clearly visualize them. "Yes, but that isn't the only reason I'm drawn to him, if it was it would be a pantie run right?" She still resists the urge to ask McCree if that's even possible.

"True. Well have you thought that maybe he is into the teacher student fantasy? And that's why your relationship started that way? Because he wanted it to be so?"

"No," she answers immediately. "Because it would have escalated by now if that was his goal." She is very confident in this.

McCree sips his whiskey again. "I'm not so sure that’s true."

Elaina furrows her brow as she waits for him to elaborate, her stomach still grumbling.

"Genji has always been a two part man, well ever since I have known him. And I don't just mean physically. The two halves of his personality seem constantly at war." He puffs his cigar. "I have heard rumors that before his transformation, he was quite the playboy." McCree stares intently at Elaina. Genji's stolen memories and Hanzo's comments in Hanamura come to her. She has no doubt this confirmation is splayed on her face as McCree chuckles.

"Really?! No way!" Lena chimes in. She also looks at Elaina who is looking down in disappointment at giving up this information unwillingly. Lena covers her mouth in a gasp.

"So, do not assume he is a stone wall of abstinence and honor." He smirks again. 

"Y-you think I should seduce him?! That's the solution?!" Elaina rings out. Never did she think that could be done. Any kind of moves she has made towards him, accidental or intentional, have resulted in complete rejection usually through anger or confusion.

"Hahaha!" McCree barks a laugh. "Well, I would say you should try to appeal to the better side of him. I have seen him act playful with you and Angela before. I am thinking that you have been trying to reel in the stoic, responsible man that he commonly displays. But instead…"

"Yeah!" Lena yells, arms up. "Genji isn't always so tight assed! Find a way to bypass that mask to the real him." She makes a motion with her hands where one moves past the other and shoots out to victory.

"Tight assed? Really Lena?" Elaina looks at her in disbelief. 

She giggles unapologetically. Elaina looks back at McCree. "Okay, that makes sense except whenever I try to get close to him, he throws me off and then stalks away in a horrible mood." Elaina thinks about the time back at Hanamura beneath the cherry tree. Could that interaction have ended better if she hadn't apologized and instead had moved closer to him? Maybe that’s why he brought her there in the first place.

The events of yesterday also demonstrate this point when he rejected her so bluntly, not even allowing time to explain before leaving.

Jesse had finished his highball and was slurping a new one in between his cigar. 

_When did the waiter come by?_

"Again, you seem a respectable woman, so I am sure you aren't using any dirty tactics to get his attention? You have been attempting to appeal to his harder side to get access to the good stuff underneath."

"I don't want to trick him…" She feels uncomfortable just thinking about it. 

"It's not a trick," McCree insists as he sips his whiskey again and leans forward. "Stop taking him so seriously, you clearly fear him and I am sure he can sense that. Have you told him you want coochie?"

"Y-yes…?" Elaina responds, unsure if coochie is what she thinks it is.

"So stop acting like you're going to fall through the ice into cold water when you are around him. He will believe that your apprehension and fear when near him are his fault, and will feel guilty because of it. And knowing him, will chalk it up to him being half machine. You both know that you want to be with him so have fun while doing it. Stop treating him like he's special, he's just another man." He leans back, and stares at Elaina and Lena's wide open mouths. 

"And while you're at it." He leans in again. "Wear some tighter clothes, you have a hot body and I'm sure he'd like to see it." McCree drains his whiskey and gets up to leave. 

"Wait! Jesse!" Elaina gets up and reaches out to him. "H-how can I thank you?"

McCree turns back and smirks again. "Drinks are on you." He then pushes his way through the swinging doors and leaves. 

“What do we do now Lena?” Elaina turns to her, hoping she’ll have the next step.

“We gotta get you ready for your date, obviously!” She pulls on her hand and rushes from the pub. 

After running a short ways, Elaina remembers that she needs to pay for McCree’s drinks and flies back in apologizing. 

Afterward, Lena brings her to an athletic store to buy the recommended tight clothes before heading back up to the watchpoint.


	11. Breaking Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> MILD SEXUAL CONTENT
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Later that day, after a visual inspection and confirmation from Lena and Emily, Elaina walks out into the training grounds in the compound. Genji is already there, and appears to be polishing the larger of his two blades. 

Elaina takes in the sight of him. Not facing her, she can see his finely sculpted back and butt. The way his arm moves rhythmically up and down the sword shouldn’t be suggestive, but is.

Genji turns, “Good day, Elaina,” and bows to her.

“And to you too,” she smiles at him, trying to hide her dirty thoughts. “What should we do today?”

He puts down the cloth and returns his blade to its home on his back. “Whatever we do, you should warm up first. What do you say to some running?" He bounces up and down lightly, readying himself.

“Good idea.” 

Lena put Elaina in tight breathable black leggings. The shirt was white and had some kind of shoulder skirt around it? She couldn’t really think of a better way to describe it. It does drape elegantly over her breasts though.

Elaina stretches her quads by lifting her foot and holding it to her butt. "Are you familiar with yoga Sensei?"

He watches her for a second then quickly looks away, not needing to stretch himself, but clearly uncomfortable with watching her. "I know of it but I cannot say I would be able to instruct."

"I used to stretch with a partner, and I swear it's much more efficient." Elaina looks over at him casually while she reaches for her toes. "Would you be willing to help me?"

Genji seems to hesitate. "Very well," he decides and walks to her side.

Elaina smiles up at him and sits on the ground, waving him down. He squats next to her and awaits instruction. 

Elaina lays down and lifts her leg high, toe pointing to the sky. "Now will you press my leg further towards me, while also holding my other one down?" 

Genji places his hand under her thigh, uncertain, and trying his best not to look at her, while the other hand rests on the top of her leg on the ground. The grip he has on her is just short of heart stopping.

"Good! Now lean into me,” she says, breathlessly.

"...G-gakusei, I'm not sure." He is clearly embarrassed.

 _Am I doing it right?_ Elaina asks the McCree in her head.

"You think the position is wrong?" She looks up at him innocently, furrowing her brow.

"No. I… Nevermind." He pushes into her, hands holding her thighs. 

"Mmm…" she moans during the stretch. "Let's do the other leg." Elaina lowers her leg and lifts the other one. He complies by placing his hands respectively. He leans in again, hand slipping slightly on her sleek pants.

A light hissing sound brings her attention to him. "Sensei?"

"Ah yes… my apologies." He takes his hands back, standing up, and the glowing pistons on his shoulders pop out, apparently releasing heat.

She giggles into her hand, "Sensei, we haven't even started exercising yet. Why are you so worked up?"

Genji looks down at her, probably scowling.

“What are you playing at?” he asks her, anger trying to hide in the accusation but failing.

Before pushing him too far she says, "Ready to start running?"

She sees him visibly relax. 

“ _Iku zo_!" he takes off like a bullet, running away from her fast.

“Hey!” Elaina runs after him trying to catch up.

After trying and failing to catch him, Genji eventually comes and keeps pace with Elaina, as when they usually run together. 

_Think of something casual to talk about,_ Elaina tells herself, _he’s just another man._

“So, what did you have for breakfast today?” was the first thing that came to her mind. 

_Shit, how often does he eat? Is this question rude?_

“I enjoyed some green tea,” he says. “How about yourself?”

“Oh, um…” She didn’t eat before going down to the pub with Lena, especially after the tummy ache seeing Genji had given her. The waiter remained elusive, therefore she hadn’t actually eaten anything. “Whiskey?” she says impulsively.

“Truely?” He slows and looks at her. “I heard you and Lena talking about going to the bar but…”

So he did hear Lena this morning.

“I mean I didn’t actually eat this morning. I woke up kind of late.” 

“I noticed. I was waiting for you to leave this morning. Stay up late last night?”

“Yeah, I had some trouble sleeping. I tend to think too much. Especially at night.”

“Have you tried meditating before?” he suggests.

“I haven’t… I’m not actually sure how that works.”

He chuckles. “For you it would probably be practicing not thinking.”

Elaina considers this. “I don’t think I’ll be very good at it.” They come to the end of the track where she must decide to either go around again or stop. “I think I would like some close combat training today, if that’s okay with you?”

Genji folds his arms and looks down at her. "And why is that, Gakusei?”

"Hm?" She tries to look as innocent as possible. Had he seen through her plans of keeping him close to her? Hands possibly touching her body?

“I just thought that since our long range combat tactics are so different, that we wouldn't benefit from that style of training… but maybe we could go climbing instead?" Elaina offers.

He stands still, looking at the ground, clearly wound tight.

“What did you do with Lena this morning?” he asks randomly.

“What?” She shifts uncomfortably. “W-why are you asking?”

“You are acting different. You are dressing different.” Genji crosses his arms. It is the first shirt she’s owned in years that exposes her arms.

Elaina looks down at herself. What should she say? Think quickly. She closes her eyes, trying to focus. “She was... Lena was helping me with some self esteem issues I was having.” She makes sure not to look him in the eye and rubs her arm embarrassed, then is slightly surprised at her own skin contact.

Genji’s shoulders relax and he unfolds his arms. “I-I’m sorry Elaina.”

The wind blows her hair in her face and she pushes it away, looking back to him.

“Oh, uh… No it’s not your fault. Well I mean it kind is but,” she was making a real mockery of this. “It-”

Genji approaches her then stops but a few inches away. Elaina can’t help but stare up at him wide-eyed. 

“You are very beautiful,” he says delicately, then pushes her hair from her face again.

“Sensei…” Elaina looks away from him. “I know you're trying to be nice, but you kinda just made me feel worse.”

“ _Ha~a~tsu_?”

Elaina smiles sadly to herself. “If you rejected me not from my looks then you rejected me because…”

He covers what would be his mouth but is instead the lower half of his mask in thought. “You’re right, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Elaina sighs. He really does just keep making it worse. “Sensei. Do you think we can ever have a happy… normal relationship again?”

Genji doesn’t immediately respond, his hand still on his chin. "Would you sit with me while I meditate on this?"

"What?" 

_He feels the need to meditate on whether or not we can even still interact? The conflict he’s experiencing must be horribly worse than I had considered._

Genji plops down cross legged.

"I don’t know if I can sit still," she admits.

“Sit with me Gakusei,” he commands her, no longer feeling the need to be delicate with her. “Practice not thinking for once.”

Elaina sits down next to him, slumping.

“Gakusei,” he warns.

“Ugh!” Elaina straightens her back and mimics his meditative position.

She closes her eyes. 

_Is he going to tell me why he doesn’t want to be with me but insists we still spend time together? And so recently after he pushed me away? Is he just a stupidly dedicated teacher or is he being selfish and won’t recognize that I can’t get over him if he’s dancing in my face all day?_

“Gakusei,” he warns again. 

Elaina opens her eyes and glares at him. “What, Sensei?”

“I said do not think. Not think more. Clear your mind, _waga kokoro meikyōshisui_.”

Her nose flares as she breathes heavily and closes her eyes again.

_How long are we going to be like this?_

_Stop. Clear your mind…_

_How long does he usually meditate?_

_Quiet! Stop._

_Maybe if I do this correctly he’ll praise me and I can smile at him honestly again._

_Fuck. This is impossible._

  
  


Time passes. A lot of time actually. Elaina isn't sure how long she will need to wait.

"Elaina. I would like to apologize to you,” he breaks the ambience.

"Hm?" She perks up from the thought stew she was in. "What for?"

"I have been very on edge around you. I have purposefully withheld information that I know you deserve to hear. And for that I am sorry. You are undeserving of such treatment."

"Has your meditation told you to share said information with me?" she was still on edge. The “meditation” she experienced was really just cooking her thoughts to a crispy medium well instead of allowing her to swallow them.

" _Ningen nado, toruni taranwa_. You really do seem incapable of meditating. A shame.”

Elaina stands, her hands balled into fists. “I am so done with you and your high horse. Why do you ask me to spend time with you? Why did you ask me to come with you to Nihon? Why did you reject me if you still ask me to be with you?”

Genji stands to face her. “I am not sure that sharing it with you would be wise."

“Genji! I deserve to know! You’ve manipulated me enough!”

His hand finds its way over his chin again. “No Gakusei, you are emotionally charged. I will not tell you in this state of mind.”

“Fuck you! I am not your Gakusei!” she screams at him, and can feel her eyes start to water. “You’ll never tell me. Did you ever even care about me? You used my infatuation for your own selfish goals.” She wipes her eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Elaina turns away from him and stomps off.

She hears his feet on the ground and stops, closing her eyes.

When she opens them he’s in front of her.

“You are not dismissed, Gakusei,” he says menacingly down at her.

She swallows and takes a step back. “Stop Genji, you’re scaring me.”

“I am scaring you?” he huffs a small laugh. She can see him shaking. “The only woman since my transformation to ever welcome my company and actually wish to be with me intimately is threatening to leave me forever, and you’re afraid?”

Elaina’s arms curl inwardly. In fear, her body tries to make itself seem smaller. “Wha-?”

“I can’t accept her love for me because I cannot love myself. I try to manipulate her into seeking better company and two weeks later she asks to share my bed?!” Genji brings his hands to the sides of his helmet and violently pulls it off, throwing it aside. Elaina takes another step back. “Is that what you want to hear?!”

Genji’s face, now free of the helmet, is struck with sickening angst. His golden eyes ripple with moisture. “Selfish? Yes. Very. I am so very afraid of being alone again, but too proud to accept that I need your company.” He holds his hand over his eyes, fighting his own tears.

The two halves are clashing right in front of her. Elaina approaches him, reaching out.

The predatory yellow eyes catch her through his hands and he backs up. “Please don’t Elaina. I can’t…”

"Genji. Why do you fight so hard to reject me? You deserve affection, happiness, and love. Just let me give it to you."

"I-I am afraid, Elaina." His voice cracks in his vulnerability. The hand leaves his face, and he stares at her wearily.

"What are you afraid of? I can’t see how us being together can possibly be worse than what you’re experiencing right now.”

It takes a moment for him to reply, "Of the other things that come with love and intimacy. Of what those sinister emotions might do to me."

Elaina looks at him sympathetically. "You won't know until you try. Everyone fears those things.”

"I have tried." Anger slips into his voice and his eyebrows furrow. “And it broke me.”

"I tried too. And keep trying." Genji stares back at her, fiercely. "And keep failing."

"Do not assume the fault is your own.”

"Is it not?" She feels tears threaten her eyes again. "Maybe if I was blonde and had wings you’d welcome me with open arms."

“A-ah…” he stutters and looks down embarrassed. “I don’t think it’s fair for you to judge my past self.”

“Are you saying that if Angela came running to you right now, begging for your company that you would turn her away like you did me?”

“I would,” he growls. “I am not stable enough to support another emotionally. I clearly can’t even control or understand my own feelings, let alone another’s.” 

“Relationships are exactly that! Supporting each other emotionally where they themselves cannot!” She argues, throwing her arms out like it's obvious. “You may know a lot about combat and strategy, but you are a child when it comes to human interaction.”

Genji recoils from her, anger on his face. “Want to teach me a lesson do you?”

“I am sure you could learn a lot from me,” Elaina replies aggressively.

He snorts and looks down, his body tensing. Elaina can hear his breathing start to accelerate and he begins to shake again.

“You wish for me to act without thought or restraint? Like you apparently do?” He throws his head up, eyes now wild, injecting further energy into the rising volume of his voice. “Purely on instinct?”

It’s clearly a threat.

“Please do!” she challenges, sure he won’t follow through. “Maybe you’ll actually learn something new, Sen-sei.” She mocks his title.

Genji closes the short distance between them and brings both hands to the sides of her face, holding her still, piercing her with his fiery eyes before covering her mouth with his. Elaina gasps in surprise, giving him the opportunity to lick the inside of her lips. 

Her mind freezes, trying to catch up and react to the moment. Quickly deciding she doesn’t want to think, she lifts her hands to his chest, closes her eyes, and melts into him. 

Genji takes his hands from her face and holds her close to his hard body. She breathes him in, tastes his sweet angry mouth and listens to her own pounding heart.

A moan escapes her as she basks in the heat rolling off of the exposed skin of his face. Their mouths part and he kisses her under the ear, pushing her head to the side, continuing down her neck to the collar bone. 

“Yes,” she moans, her hands gripping his hair tightly. “Please take me, I can’t wait any longer.”

His wild eyes resurface in front of her, while his hands lift her body off the ground and lay her down on the frightfully cold floor. His heavy body pins her down, preventing escape.

“ _Gamandekinai_ …” he whispers, almost too silent to hear. “ _Sore wa amarini mo yoi kanji_.”

Elaina moves her body against him rhythmically. As if encouraged, he presses against her, harder into the ground, lips moving faster and more aggressively.

The metal armor adorning his body bruises her soft one as he pushes against her, but she doesn't want to speak up and scare him away. After all this suspense, she can’t stop him now. 

Could she even if she wanted to?

The pain of him on top of her begins to distract Elaina from the intimacy of moment and dread creeps in its place. What first appeared to be passion, now she can only see aggressive purpose.

Elaina can’t see the end. 

_How does this end? What’s the finish line for him?_

Her hands shake and she presses them against him, hoping to turn him over or slow him down. Instead he grabs her wrists and holds them aside. Dread evolves into fear and replaces all excitement she had felt only seconds ago as the grip on her left wrist continues to tighten. She makes a noise in protest and struggles against his grip, feeling the bones grind together.

“Genji!” She manages during a break between their lips. More pressure and… Snap.

Elaina yells out in pain and the pressure of his body is gone immediately. She cradles her arm, knowing that the ulna bone has been broken, maybe fractured.

“W-watashi…” She looks up at Genji as he stutters. He’s shaking all over, especially his hands. “ _Watashi wa kore ga okorudarou kanojo ni itta, jibun jishin o tomeru koto ga dekimasendeshita_.”

His native language sprints from his mouth. Even if Elaina could speak Japanese, there’s no way she would be able to follow his line of speech. 

“Genji, it’s okay.” She winces as she sits up.

“ _Ie, watashi wa nani o to natte imasu_!” He yells then starts to pace, pulling on his hair. “ _Kuso_!”

Elaina watches him, unsure how to help. He stops suddenly, still shaking, fists tight. “I will get Angela.” He sprints off.

“No Genji! Please, come back!” But he doesn’t even look back at her.

Elaina waits, anxiety rising. She manages to get on her feet and moves to the station offering weapons for combat simulation. Countless thoughts rush through her mind as she vainly looks for a way out of this. 

As she stares at his discarded helmet on the ground, she begins to hyperventilate. She holds her good hand to her chest and closes her eyes, trying to calm the shock. “He won’t forgive himself. He will reject me completely,” she tells herself aloud.

Elaina begins to cry, bringing up her hand to stifle the sobs. She quickly decides that she doesn't want to see Angela; to see Genji again who will never meet her eyes after what he’s done to her, after what she has pushed him to do. 

Elaina moves from the station and runs to the neighboring section that offers a sort of sky-scapper environment that she had once used to practice movement. Weaving between the buildings, she looks for some place to hide, all the while her left arm pulses from the pain of the fracture.

“Elaina?” Angela calls out. “Where is she Genji?”

“I will find her.” His voice sounds deflated, almost raspy. Elaina huddles down at the base of one of the mock buildings, knowing that he could probably hear her if she tries to run further. There she waits, praying to not be found.

Alas, after but five or so minutes he lands in front of her, mask now back in place, hiding his shame. “She’s here Angela.” He offers no assistance to her and does not look at her. Angela’s heels click faster in her approach.

The doctor squats down next to her huddled form. “Elaina, are you okay? Genji says he broke your arm?”

“A-Angela…” Elaina looks up at her sweet face. “He’ll never forgive me.” She sobs onto her shoulder. “I forced him to, I pushed him too far.”

“What?” 

“He’s never going to speak to me or look at me ever again. Oh Angela, I feel so sick with fear and guilt.”

“Honey, what about your arm?”

“Fuck my arm, I couldn’t care less about it right now.”

Angela rubs her back and looks back up at Genji who offers no insight on Elaina’s worries.

“Genji,” Angela stands to face him, but he does not look at her. “Tell me what happened,” she commands. 

All he offers her is silence.

“Just let him leave Angela,” Elaina squeeks, now feeling sleepy from all the running and crying. Angela stares hard at him a moment longer and then he walks from them. Once he’s a distance away, she kneels back down next to Elaina.

“Will you tell me what happened?” Angela wipes tears from Elaina’s cold face.

“Okay…” she manages. “But can we go inside? I’m so cold.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iku zo: Let's go  
> Ha~a~tsu: huh?  
> Waga kokoro meikyōshisui: My mind is as clear as a stainless mirror  
> Ningen nado, toruni taranwa: Humans are weak  
> Gamandekinai: I cannot stand it  
> Sore wa amarini mo yoi kanji: It feels too good  
> Watashi wa kore ga okorudarou kanojo ni itta, jibun jishin o tomeru koto ga dekimasendeshita: I couldn’t stop myself, told her this would happen.  
> Ie, watashi wa nani o to natte imasu: No, what have I become  
> Kuso: Shit


	12. An Understanding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)

“That is… Very unfortunate,” Angela sits next to Elaina as she finishes the recount of how her arm was broken. “I honestly had not considered that his caged emotions would explode like that. Especially after how he has been since the recall. I could definitely see that happening to him when he was in Blackwatch. Maybe he hasn’t actually changed, and is instead really good at faking it.”

Elaina, now fully healed by Caduceus, sits on a stool in the medical wing with some mint tea. “Angela, he will leave. You know he will. What should I do?”

She hums in consideration. “Maybe we should give him some space right now. I don’t think any amount of coddling will convince him that he’s not at fault.” 

Elaina nods, agreeing. She sits in silence for a few moments, sipping tea. The heat from the tea warms her cold body, while the scent slows the pace of her relentless thoughts.

“But hey,” Angela perks up slightly. “Besides the physical ailment, I bet the intimacy was pretty exciting! It is what you wanted right?”

“Oh my gosh Angela, it was so exciting. But…” Elaina hesitates. “I kind of knew that it wouldn’t end well.”

“Why’s that?”

“I couldn’t predict the end. His ultimate goal. Which reminds me, Angela? Will you teach me about Genji’s physiology? I know he’s part man part machine but I don’t know where the line is. Does he still have his organs? Does he eat regularly? How much of his skeleton is intact?”

“Woah, slow down.” Angela laughs awkwardly. “I am not so sure I have the authority to share that information.” She rubs the back of her neck.

“Damn,” Elaina curses, knowing she’s right. “I just thought it might come in handy if he was ever injured and you weren’t around to assist or…”

“Elaina, given what just happened, I am guessing you are trying to predict a more… desirable outcome? Like if he’s even capable of intimacy?”

Elaina looks away, embarrassed. “I won’t deny that. When I sought advice from Jesse he asked me if I wanted sex from him, which… I do but I was confused because I didn’t think he even… But Jesse has known him since Blackwatch so I thought, you know, maybe he knows more than I do.” This string of words is more mumbling than directed speech at Angela. 

“But hey!” Elaina gets up from the stool and points at her. “If he doesn’t have any plumbing I feel like you wouldn’t have been SO reluctant to be with him, huh?”

Angela jumps back a little at this. “Uh…!” Elaina smirks at her knowingly. “I guess you caught me there. Yes I left his reproductive organs intact.” She rubs the back of her neck again, clearly uncomfortable. “Given his previous lifestyle I put a stupid amount of effort into maintaining his… Manly esteem. Lot of good that did, he doesn’t even use it...”

“So,” Elaina brainstorms, hand on her chin. “Reproductive organs, very not necessary for life. I can assume then that he probably has the rest of his organs.” She visualizes his body in her mind. His warm left hand from their time in Hanamura, but also his right hand crushing her arm. He clearly still has his head and probably his neck, definitely his left arm.

Angela sighs, distracting Elaina from her contemplative thoughts. “It looks like you are working out most of it anyways. I suppose I will fill in the gaps. Come with me,” she rises from her stool and waves for Elaina to follow. They weave through the tables and pass into an office. The room contains a desk featuring a complex PC, a lively indoor plant, and a sofa couch against the right wall. A photograph of Angela and Fareeha adorns the desk.

“Did Fareeha leave?” Elaina asks.

“Unfortunately so,” Angela sighs.

“Lena was saying that you might be trying to enlist her.”

Angela laughs, “Although I do believe Fareeha would make an excellent Overwatch agent, Egypt is one of the highest conflict places in the world currently and would actually prefer for her to help the people there. That being said, I do hate being away from her, and worry for her safety every day.”

Elaina feels empathy for her. Genji will leave soon as well, and she does not want to envision the heart ache she will feel in his absence. “Have you asked Winston if you could be stationed there with her?”

A toothy smile now paints her face. “I have…”

Angela sits in the spinning chair in front of the PC and clicks on the keyboard for a few moments. 

“This isn’t going to be a spooky surgery video is it? Where I have to see him in pieces after what his brother had done to him?”

“Luckily no,” she finishes and pulls the monitor out to show her. 

On the screen she can see a vitruvian man display of Genji’s body. His right arm and legs are almost completely robotic. His left arm is completely intact as well as most of his chest and torso. The organs also remain, as she had predicted, and a good part of his skeleton. His ribcage, shoulders, pelvis and most of his femurs were still there as well. It felt largely like looking at him naked, so she tried not to stare too long as her face heats up.

“I honestly don’t understand Angela. Was he seriously butchered like that by his brother? I know Hanzo is… Well, I don’t agree with his choices in life but I just can’t see him mutilating his brother like that.” The stolen memories of Hanzo from Genji’s adolescence come to her mind. “He’s mean and aggressive, yes, but not a psycho.”

“You see, when we recovered Genji, he had many fatal injuries given to him by his brother. For some reason, his right arm was particularly focused on. But what really destroyed his body was 3rd degree frostbite.”

“What?! Really?”

“Yes. When Genji and his brother faced off it was winter in Japan. They fought outside and when his brother had decided to leave him for dead, he left him in the snow. Much of his body necrotized from the cold. Most of the cells in the major muscles on the extremities of his body had ruptured and were completely unsalvageable.”

“How was his left arm saved? And his face? Wouldn’t he lose his ears, nose and lips too?”

“His left arm was trapped under his body when he fell. As for his face, it was covered by a sort of makeshift mask. I do not know why he was wearing a mask when they fought, probably just because it was cold.”

Elaina considers this. “So if they had fought in summer?”

“If they had fought without the snow… I can only say that most of his original body may still be intact. However, the injuries inflicted by Hanzo would have not healed properly and Genji would not be suitable for active duty. I am sure that being the most efficient cyborg ninja on the planet was not a life goal of his, but he has most definitely achieved that title in this second life he’s been granted.”

True to Elaina’s predictions, Genji was not seen by her around the compound for the next few days. She wouldn’t know what to say to him if they did speak, so it was a welcome absence. After this period apart, Elaina eventually inquired with Angela who had also not seen him, suggesting that he left the compound altogether. 

Feeling responsible for robbing Genji of his home, and Overwatch of a far superior agent than her, Elaina decides to distract herself from the sorrow by trying to become a better Overwatch agent herself. She resumes studying and shadowing Angela on the tasks she is given as the organization’s top doctor, and has replaced Genji with McCree and Lena as sparring partners. 

About a week after Genji’s disappearance, Winston comes to her with a request.

“A new mission?” Elaina thinks to herself.

Winston and Elaina meet in the “war room,” a gathering lobby beneath Winston’s office to discuss the task. They look down upon a map featuring a highway with a small diner on it’s edge. The corner of the map states, U.S.A., Route 66.

“McCree has gotten intel on an asset that we once had in Overwatch before the fall, and has requested to retrieve it,” Winston explains.

“Do you know what it is?” Elaina asks.

“Yes. A program. Not that different from Athena.”

Elaina nods. America, huh? Wonder if she could go visit her brother in Seattle while they’re out there. Seattle is very far from south-western America though.

“Yeah, okay. Wait. What’s my role in this operation?” Elaina wasn’t an active agent before the fall and she assumed that the only reason she got to do the King’s Row mission was because they were so short staffed or because Lena asked for her to. The King’s Row mission didn’t really end well but she also believed that she didn’t do a bad enough job that she wouldn’t be able to try active duty again.

“You will make sure McCree doesn’t kill himself,” Winston huffs this, like he doesn’t want to make Elaina a babysitter but…

Elaina chuckles. “It looks like his neck of the woods so I’m sure we’ll do just fine.” She smiles at him, happy to help in any way she can.

“So you’ll take the mission?” He seems a little surprised.

“Of course, sir! Boss… Boss Man, Boss Scientist.”

Winston laughs at that and walks over, placing a giant hand on her shoulder. Her body tenses in anticipation of the huge weight it undoubtedly offers, but it ends up being a light pat.

“When are we shipping out? And do you have any new cool gadgets for me??” Elaina leans close to him, her hands in a pleading position.

Winston laughs again. “Actually, I do believe I have perfected my portable shield technology, and think it’s ready for some field testing.”

“Oh cool! I’d love that.”

“Good! You’ll leave at the end of the week.”

Elaina salutes him, half jokingly, and makes to leave.

“Elaina? Before you go.” She turns back to him. “Will you let McCree know that you will be accompanying him?”

“What?! Winston!”

He jumps up on his swing tire and vaults back into his office. “Good luck!” He calls down to her.

After a surprisingly short time looking, Elaina finds McCree snoozing on a poofy lounge chair in one of the community areas in the compound. In an attempt to not overthink the coming conversation, she decides that talking to McCree immediately after being assigned on his personal mission is the best course of action.

McCree’s hat is covering his face, his boots are off, and he’s snoring loudly. Maybe she shouldn’t wake him? There’s a long sofa off to the right and she could fancy a nap herself. Walking over, she plops down loudly and swings her legs up. Maybe if she makes enough noise on “accident,” McCree would just wake up on his own. 

Another snore sounds to the right of her.

_No way! How can an active agent be so unaware of his environment? What if I was an assassin? Or a thief?_

Mischief crosses her mind and suddenly a nap sounds a lot less fun than trying to sneak one of McCree’s possessions off him while he sleeps. And if she succeeds, he’ll have to be the one to seek her out.

Elaina rolls off the couch with a smirk and walks on hands and knees across the carpet to the side of the green armchair. 

She pops her head up and looks at what would be his face but is instead his hat. Scooting behind the chair, she scans his body for an easy treasure. 

The easiest thing to grab was by and far the pistol he keeps at his waist. Fitting, considering if he was suddenly attacked while sleeping, that should be the first thing he grabs. Elaina leans over the top of him, reaching past the large cowboy hat for the butt of the revolver. She fingers the end of the gun when the silence disturbs her and she notices he hasn’t snored since she rolled off the couch.

McCree’s hands snap up and grab Elaina by the arm, yanking her over the back of the couch. She lands hard on top of his body and yelps.

“Hello, Elaina. Looking for some fun?” he whispers in her ear, smoky breath filling her nose, hat now tossed aside. He has her in a choke hold. The arm not restraining her neck, his synthetic one, holds her left one firmly against him. Elaina pulls helplessly at the arm around her throat while moving uncomfortably against the belt buckle pressing into her lower back. 

“Let me go Jesse!” she squeaks.

“What were you reaching for, huh? Feeling lonely since your microwave left?”

Elaina gasps. “Fuck you Jesse!”

A sinister tickle travels up her arm and she considers using biotic grasp on him.

“Do ya need me to fill the void? I promise I’ll treat you better than he ever did.” Her legs kick out wildly and she twists in his grip as he chuckles in her ear. 

Thinking about Genji immediately makes her feel lonely and now McCree’s body against hers is actually kind of comforting. Like a hug. An aggressive, involuntary hug. Elaina stops struggling and sighs. 

“Aw come on pumpkin, don’t be like that. We were having fun.” McCree’s arm releases her neck and he adjusts her on his lap to a sitting position. “I’ll admit I shouldn’ta brought him up but I really can’t see why you need him so badly.”

“I don’t think you know enough to make a fair judgement,” Elaina declares.

“Perhaps not. But I know him, and I know he’s a selfish prick.”

“Selfish?” 

Elaina considers this. During their last interaction, she had called him such, but in relation to the way he treats her. McCree, so far as she knows, is not familiar enough with their dynamic to guess this. Is Genji selfish in other aspects of his life? He did join an organization that promotes world peace.

“How so?” Elaina decides to try and get McCree to elucidate.

“I mean sure, he’s a damn fine agent. Gets his job done.” McCree seems to read her mind. “He was, maybe still is, horribly impatient and cut-throat, just like our commanding officer was.”

Their time together in Blackwatch was over five years ago. Admittedly, Elaina has not seen Genji on active duty, and has only seen him fight legitimately with his brother, whom he had no intention of killing, so could not affirm or deny McCree’s accusations. But the patience and dedication Genji has with her when training feels so tender.

“Now as a human being,” he continues. “I have never seen him act out for another. I don’t mean to say that he will bamboozle others for his own gain, but he won’t care when your dog dies and he sure as hell won’t remember your birthday. Pray tell, when was the last time, if there ever was one, where he asked you about yourself?”

“I mean… He’s asked how I’m doing?”

“Tsk,” McCree shakes his head. “That’s just a courtesy. As I said, he ain’t rude.”

Elaina slumps, unable to come up with an answer.

“Take this time he’s granted you apart, to think about the things he does without getting distracted by the things you want.” He winks at her.

“I will, thank you.” Elaina can feel a wave of sorrow start to wash over her.

“Here,” he shifts her weight to the side, in a more comfortable position. “Why don’t you nap here with me? I guarantee you’ll feel better when you wake up.”

“Like… here on our lap?” Elaina is unsure of McCree’s intentions behind this but he seems genuine.

“Yep, a good snuggle will do you good. But hey, I can’t be your huckleberry. Understand?”

She smiles at him. “No, but I can make an educated guess.”

“Thata girl.” He retrieves his hat from the floor and puts it on the back of the sofa. He scoots down a little and holds her close to him in his big arms. Elaina lays her head on his chest and takes a deep breath, pulling in his scent. Warm dust, fresh sweat, and cigar smoke fills her nose and her eyes close. McCree falls asleep before her but she accompanies him in that sweet abyss shortly after.

Upon waking an hour later, Elaina shares her involvement in his mission at the end of the week. McCree doesn’t seem pleased but doesn’t say no, so she excuses herself from his company, thanking him for the comfort and returns to her room. After pacing a little inside, thinking too much, she decides to go running instead.

After a few laps around the track she decides to call it. The lowering sun is making the air uncomfortably cold, and she hasn’t eaten since before noon. 

On her way back, she runs into Lena. “Hey!” Elaina calls out to her.

“Oh! Elaina! I saw you moved on from Genji faster than I thought you would. Good for you!” She holds up her hand for a high five which Elaina immediately hits in response. Except she isn’t sure what she’s talking about so there’s no energy in the hand slap.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Still feeling the fresh hole in her chest Genji gave her when he left.

Lena cocks her head to the side and pulls out her phone. Tapping on it a couple times, she turns the device to Elaina’s face and shows a photo she took of her with McCree on the couch, sleeping.

“Lena! I’m not with Jesse!”

She turns the phone back to herself and looks at the picture. “You’re with him here.”

“Yes well he was just offering me some comfort.”

She looks at her in speculation. “Do you know McCree? Now, I didn’t think he was your type but… I guess he could make a good rebound! He really knew his shit at the bar.” She smiles at Elaina positively.

“Lena, I snuggle with you and Emily all the time. Am I sleeping with you or her?”

“Well,” she looks to the side. “No, but you don’t swing that way. It’s different. Also, this is McCree we’re talking about.”

“So because he’s a man, it’s automatically intimate? And by that standard, you snuggling with me is intimacy?”

“Okay okay! I get it. It just seems really out of character for him. Did he trick you?” Lena puts a fiesty look on her face, ready to fight anyone who walks by.

Elaina thinks about her interaction with McCree again. “I don’t think so. I went to find him so I could tell him I was going on the Route 66 mission with him but he was sleeping.” She filled her in on the rest of the story, including the part where he said he wouldn’t be her “huckleberry.”

“Weird,” she responds contemplatively. “Well good for you anyways.”

Elaina chuckles. “Thanks? Wait Lena. Who else did you show that photo to?”

Lena gets a guilty look on her face.

“Lena…”

“I showed Emily and… Angela.”

Elaina sighs and slumps.

“I’m sorry! We’ve all been really worried about you lately and you looked so at peace here.” She offers Elaina her best pouty face.

“It’s okay, I am going to go see Angela though, to clear the air.” She waves Lena off, who quickly blinks away, free from punishment.

As she walks toward the medical wing, her stomach reminds her why she stopped running in the first place.


	13. Route 66

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)

McCree and Elaina sit in a mostly abandoned diner at eleven thirty in the late morning. McCree has ordered some apple pie and sits with her in a booth waiting for it. Classic western music plays in the background from a too fancy jookbox.

“You still haven’t told me anything about this mission Jesse,” Elaina complains as she sips at bad coffee.

“Not much you need to know. I’ll be taking care of most of it. You’re just back up, remember?” he says, leaning back and taking a long pull on his cigar.

Elaina shifts uncomfortably in her seat. As he’s a real agent, he assumes the title of commanding officer, and she doesn’t have the authority to argue with him. “I just don’t want to feel as useless on this mission as I have on my previous ones.”

McCree takes a moment to respond, considering. “This isn’t your mission, it’s mine. And you have so rudely inserted yourself into it.”

Elaina scowls at him. “I’m following orders, Commander,” she mocks him.

He shrugs. The waitress comes over and places the apple pie in front of him. She also refills the coffee before leaving. Elaina picks nervously at her nails while McCree carves off a chunk of the pie. 

A whistle announces a train incoming overhead. Elaina had noticed that although this area is rather desolate, there is a fancy monorail piercing the mountainous landscape.

The train whistles again as it passes above, but is interrupted by a huge explosion, derailing the entire vehicle!

Elaina screams and drops her coffee mug, diving under the table.

Sounds of the train flying from the tracks and landing on the cliff edge around her vibrates thickly through the air.

“Jesse!” Elaina cries out, tugging on his pant leg from under the table. “It’s not safe out there, are you insane?!”

He doesn’t respond and doesn’t move. She waits for potential death as the crashing continues.

After what seems too long, the train seems to have settled. She can still hear the residual wind and dust move around the environment.

“Stay here,” McCree says as he gets up from the booth. He grabs his hat and belt containing his Peacekeeper revolver that had been hanging from the chair. 

Elaina stares at him as he passes by, past the other booths and to the door. The door opens with a bell chime and a mixture of dust and smoke rushes into the room. Her face quickly turns away from the contaminants and she covers her mouth with a hand. The door closes and the dust begins to settle. 

Elaina looks out from the table. She can’t see the waitress, who is probably hiding as she is. The dust cloud beyond the doors obstructs any view of McCree and the destruction outside.

Does she stay as instructed? Elaina guesses that McCree knew that this would happen based on how casually he sat through the explosion. Unsure what course of action to take, she tries to guess what the other agents would do. 

Lena would just rush in, probably past McCree. Winston would move with McCree as support. Angela would most likely move strategically, careful to not get in the way while also providing back up. Genji… he would probably flank with his sleek movements and attack at the exact moment necessary. She sighs.

Elaina relates the most to Angela as a support and decides that she will do what she believes Angela would. 

Elaina crosses the restaurant to the small set of downward stairs that also leads out of the building. A broken picture frame threatens sharp glass and she carefully steps over the pieces.

As an agent, she brings with her a P90 on her back and Betty at her hip. She draws the glock and tries to peek out the door.

It’s still very difficult to see outside but Elaina can make out a shape of what looks to be a man next to one of the crates belonging to the fallen train.

Another figure approaches the first, this one in an obvious cowboy hat. The man notices and flees, yelling. Elaina takes this opportunity to open the door just enough to slip out into the dust cloud. She crosses to the edge of one of the fallen train cabins and climbs inside.

“Ash! Aaash!” Elaina can hear calls on the other side of the smoke column. Confused, she looks around. 

_Yeah there’s ash everywhere._

“We got trouble,” she hears the same voice declare.

Looking around the corner of the car, Elaina can make out McCree moving in the same direction as the one who fled earlier.

“Jesse McCree,” Elaina can hear a woman’s voice. “Been a while. You promised you’d write.”

“Well Ashe,” McCree says, pausing. “I’ve been… kinda busy.”

“We’re pretty busy ourselves, so, it’s awful convenient of you showing up today.”

They clearly know each other. Ashe must be the woman’s name. Elaina supposes that this really was a personal mission for McCree and feels very out of place. If only he’d given her more information back at Gibraltar, she might have been able to convince Winston out of her attending.

“Yeah, you’ve never been one to shy away from a good tip,” McCree says.

“Hey!” the woman fights back. “We worked hard for this score. You best move on now.”

“Hmph,” McCree chuckles. “All I want... is that crate.”

Curious, Elaina takes a glance out the edge of the train. She’s confident that the residual dust will hide her from any of the enemy’s sight. Out in the open she can see McCree with his back to her facing a group of three people surrounding a sort of car. One of them is also wearing a cowboy hat. Upon closer inspection, the hat wearing figure appears to be the woman he’s been speaking to.

“Everything else is yours,” McCree offers.

“This crate?” Ashe says, tapping said crate with her gun. “Huh... Bob.”

The large man next to her, who turns out is actually a large omnic, opens the crate with a button press. Fascinated by this Bob character, Elaina stares at him instead of the crate in question.

Bob is very different from the other omnics she has witnessed, far larger, but also seemingly less sentient. He has a cute little bower hat on and a large metal handlebar mustache. Her eyes squint but can only make out two dots on his head? This seems to confirm her theory that the forehead dots on omnics signify a degree of humanity or rank.

“Well well, now you’ve got my attention,” Ashe declares, turning back to McCree. “What is it?”

“That’s none of your business,” McCree says.

The woman jumps down off the car. She has blindingly white hair underneath the black cowboy hat and bright red eyes. She’s very beautiful and very intimidating.

“As far as I see it,” Ashe says, holding tight on her gun. “Now it’s very much our business.”

McCree sighs. “It doesn’t always have to be this way Ashe.”

“Apparently,” she cocks her gun. “It does.”

Elaina can see McCree ready his hand near Peacekeeper, then from behind McCree, but in front of her, two of Ashe’s gang members flank him from behind. The two that were next to Ashe on the car, including the large omnic, also ready their weapons. 

This looks bad, Elaina anticipates having to help McCree in this fight. Hopefully she won’t need to use biotic grasp on anyone and she swallows, nervous.

A painful amount of time passes while everyone waits for the first move. The two men in front of her shift their weight and look at each other.

Ashe raises her gun, but McCree shoots first, staggering her companion into her.

“Oh come on!” she calls out in frustration, pushing the man off. Elaina pulls her head back into the train car to safety as more gun shots ring out. She holsters the glock and pulls the P90 from her back instead, trying to amp herself up enough to run out and help.

Just as she’s about to jump into action, a large creaking noise and the swoosh of air announces that one of the train cars hanging above gets loose and swings down to the road.

She hears a man yelp and she dives away from the edge of the train car to the middle of the cabin.

The man outside continues yelping with intervals of “Don’t shoot!”

More gunfire rings out and Elaina hears a different yell come from what sounded like an omnic man. Bob perhaps?

“Bob! Do something!” Ashe calls out. New gunfire enters combat, as presumably Bob does something.

“Looks like Bob got himself some upgrades,” McCree says, closer than Elaina thought he was. 

Elaina scoots on her belly to the other end of the train and peaks out again. McCree is hiding behind a large stone as Bob shoots down range at him.

“Smoke him outta there!” Ashe calls out, and the others join in the gunfire.

Behind McCree an omnic man, one Elaina had not seen before, rises with a rifle in his hand and aims down sight. Elaina gasps, but McCree takes out the man with a single shot, not even looking. The omnic man falls and lands right under where Elaina is hiding.

“Last chance McCree!” Ashe warns. “Toss out your weapon!”

“Alright Ashe!” McCree calls out. Elaina wants to see what’s going on but she’s horribly distracted by the man dying beneath her. He’s twitching and is leaking some kind of fluid, probably his life’s blood. The man must have caught sight of her because he begs, “Please,” and reaches towards her.

Memories, not belonging to her, rush to her mind. Laying in a hospital bed, he reaches a hand out to the doctor nearby. Endless pain pulsating his whole body. “Please,” he calls out to the nurse.

Impulsively, Elaina jumps from the train car down next to the man and takes his hand.

“Here it comes!” McCree yells. She can hear the tinkle of metal on metal but still can’t take her eyes off the omnic before her. 

“Ooooh! Shoot!” Ashe yells in response to whatever McCree has done, followed by a few shots from Peacekeeper and a large explosion. Elaina covers the man with her body as a huge smoke cloud rushes downwind.

Silence then pervades the area. McCree’s boots clink as he walks toward the fallen gang and the crate.

Elaina lifts off the man, looking down at him. McCree’s bullet had taken him in his upper left chest. It seems to have severed the connection the man has to his left arm as it sits lifeless at his side. His right hand, the one that does work, is gripping Elaina’s hand fiercely. 

“You are an angel,” the man coughs out. “I am sorry to have caught you up in this.”

“I-I am only doing what anyone would do,” she insists, unwelcome tears coming to her eyes.

The man chuckles. “I am not so sure that’s true.”

Elaina fingers his wound. It didn’t seem like it should be fatal, or even causing this much pain for him. 

_Why does he even feel pain? Why would someone intentionally program that into him?_

Scanning over his metal body, she finds he had also taken a bullet through what would be his stomach, severing part of what looked to be his spinal cord. This was also the source of the fluid coming from him.

Tears flow freely now, thinking this man will die and she cannot do anything for him.

“Why are you crying? You are a strange woman,” the omnic says, his grip slackening.

“I-I don’t know how to help you…” she sobs.

“It’s okay,” he says calmly. “Your company is enough.”

“But,” she chokes another sob. “You’ll die.”

“Ahh… Yes.” He takes his hand from hers and wipes a tear from her face, but this only makes her cry harder.

_Think think think._

Elaina looks around desperately for something. Anything to help. Yes she brought a first aid kit, but for flesh not metal. She pulls the pack from her lower back anyways and shuffles through it: cloth, antiseptic, pain medication.

“Fuck!” she yells.

Apparently this exclamation is loud enough to get McCree’s attention as he jogs up to her position.

“Elaina? What are you doing?” he questions as he finds her with the omnic on her lap.

“You’ve killed this man Jesse!” she screams at him, motioning down to the omnic.

“Man? He’s a machine Elaina, and our enemy, can’t they just load his consciousness into some other one?”

Blind rage surfaces. Elaina pulls her sleeve up and throws her arm out in front of her, hand directly in front of McCree’s face. Sharp purple lines crease up her arm, sinister and threatening.

“Fuck you McCree! Get the fuck away or I will hurt you.”

He holds his hands up in submission. “Okay, damn!” He backs up and away towards the crate.

“You came with McCree?” the omnic asks.

Elaina sniffles, lowering her arm. “Yes. I am no innocent.”

Looking back down at the man she places a hand on his cheek, silently vowing to learn from Angela or anyone how to treat a mechanical man. The hand is still slightly purple as the power recedes. She wonders… 

_Yes this man is not flesh, but he is very obviously living. Can I heal him with the energy from biotic grasp?_

Hesitating, she takes her other hand and lays it flat on his chest. Elaina pushes her stamina and life force from herself and into him. She watches his injuries for signs of repair.

Miraculously, the fractured metal begins to bend and reshape to its proper state. Greatly encouraged by the sight, Elaina closes her eyes and pushes harder, tiring very quickly.

The man moans and moves gently on her lap.

Suddenly, a hand closes over her wrist. Elaina’s eyes fly open to the omnic man sitting upright, his hand being the one that stopped her. She gasps and resumes quietly sobbing into her hand, uncontrollable grief transforming into overwhelming elation at his recovery. 

The omnic man’s head is mostly covered by a green hood and green eyes glow out from it. No, the left one was actually two, meaning he possesses three eyes. This pair of double eyes are an eerie blue-purple and his forehead offers four dots. 

“I am forever in your debt.” His hand comes behind her neck, pulling her head towards him. Their foreheads touch and Elaina smiles at him, closing her eyes to not be blinded by the bright light of his. “May I request your name?”

She rubs a finger under her nose. “It’s Elaina.”

“And I am Bars.” He stands and holds his hand out to her. Elaina takes in his full appearance for the first time. 

Bars is a member of the Deadlock Gang, it’s written on his black vest which comes up short, showing off his stomach. His metal arms are uncovered and sport gold accents. Black chaps cover his legs and as she noticed before, and he wears a green hood. 

Elaina takes his hand and rises. Fatigue causes her to stumble but Bars grabs her with a strong arm. He towers over her, Elaina stands eyeline with his solar plexus.

“I have never met someone so partial to my kind,” he comments. “I am guessing you have an impactful relationship with another omnic?”

“Yeah, she’s real soft towards anyone that shines in the light,” McCree comments from over the top of a nearby rock. 

Elaina scowls at him.

“I don’t haveta put you down again I’m guessing?” McCree asks Bars with a flash of his gun.

“I will not be shooting you again, if that is what you are asking,” Bars says, still holding on to Elaina. She tries to take a step away but the biotic energy transfer gave almost all she had. Bars sees this and crouches in front of her, offering his back. She gets on, grateful for the assistance.

Together with McCree, the three of them return to the car carrying the crate, which turns out to be more of a mobile platform. Bars places Elaina on the edge of it and stands next to her protectively. 

Elaina stares up at Bars, fascinated. He catches her gaze and looks down at her. Foolishly looking away, embarrassed, Elaina's heart beats a little faster.

It appears that McCree has tied up the remaining members of the gang and put them on the platform car. 

Elaina has the opportunity to look at Ashe first hand, who is unconscious on the car next to her. She pushes the hair from her face. Ashe stirs and Elaina grimances, scooting away as she awakens. 

“Wha-?” Ashe mumbles. Her eyes stare at her bonded wrists in confusion and she sits up. “McCree?”

Ashe looks around and locks eyes with Elaina.

“Who the hell are you?” she asks. Her gaze then moves to Bars at her side. “Bars! Untie me.”

“No, ma’am,” he responds calmly.

“What do you mean no?!” she screams at him.

“Ah can it Ashe,” McCree chimes in. “Bars, will you help me move this crate off the car?”

Bars doesn’t respond verbally but does go over to assist, leaving Elaina alone with the very angry Deadlock leader. 

Elaina tries to not make eye contact with her. Ashe scoots closer to Elaina.

“Who. Are. You?” Ashe pronounces each word carefully.

“Ah, I am…” Elaina hesitates. “Nobody.”

“You’re with McCree aren’t you?” she hisses.

“N-no,” Elaina stutters. “I was just in that diner over there when the train collapsed.”

Ashe glares at Elaina’s P90 and the glock at her waist. “You’re a shitty liar.”

Luckily Bars returns at that moment and places a hand on Elaina’s knee.

“Who is she Bars?” Ashe insists. “And why won’t you free me?”

“This is Elaina,” Bars says. “I will not release you as I owe her my life.”

Ashe looks back at Elaina. “Isn’t that sweet? Was your first love a toaster?”

McCree also comes over. “Time to say goodbye Elaina.”

Elaina nods and looks up at Bars. “Be well my friend.”

“Hopefully this will not be our last meeting,” he says and presses his forehead to hers again. Elaina smiles at him. Although they just met, the affection somehow seems appropriate.

“Off the car Elaina,” McCree instructs.

“Oh.” She looks to the ground, unsure if she’ll stay standing if she hops down. Bars lifts her under the arms before she can ask and places her carefully on the ground next to him. She waivers a bit but stays upright and he nods at her.

“Say hi to the gang for me,” McCree tells Ashe as he pushes the engine button on the car platform.

Before the vehicle can take off, Bars jumps on and waves to them.

“McCree!” Ashe calls out. “Untie me McCree!”

McCree begins to walk over to the ovular crate that he had been looking for.

“I will not be ignored!” Ashe calls out as the vehicle moves away. “I’m gonna rebuild Bob and he’s gonna rip off your other arm! McCree!” And they're gone around the corner.

“Um…” Elaina speaks up.

“Yea?” McCree answers.

“Was she your woman?”

McCree laughs. “Ah… I’m afraid not.”

Elaina looks at him skeptically. 

McCree ignores her and presses the release button on the crate.

The crate hisses and a cold mist pours from it, the top lifts free from the bottom, widely displaying its contents. Inside, an elegant white robot rests. McCree takes something from his pocket and places it upon the machine activating it. Her cybernetic face flicks on.

“Hey there cowboy,” the robot’s voice rings out. McCree takes his hat off in respect

“Welcome back, partner,” he says. Offering a hand to her, she rises from the box angelically.

Very different for the other sentient robots Elaina has met, this one appears more alien than technology. She, as it would seem, is pearly white with a blue feminine face. Her body has almost no joints as her arms, legs, and wings float magnetically next to her main body. It’s comical how completely opposite this woman is to the omnic Bars she had met just moments ago.

“Hmm..” she looks around, eyes landing on Elaina. “How long have I been gone?”

“Far too long,” McCree says, bringing back her attention.

She looks down at his left hand, the synthetic one. “What happened?”

“Well,” he starts, “That’s a story for another time. But I got a call, they’re getting the band back together. They want me, but really, they need you.”

She looks up at him. Putting his hat on, he begins to walk away.

“Jesse wait,” the robotic woman calls out to him. “What are you going to do?”

He chuckles. “I’ve got some business to attend to.” He walks up to the motorcycle left by the Deadlock gang and gets on.

“Wait Jesse! You’re leaving?” Elaina tries to walk to him but falls. The angelic robot goes to her side and helps her up.

“I’m sorry Elaina. I told you this was a personal mission. Echo, do me a favor and see her safely back to the monkey, okay?”

“Monkey?” Echo questions.

McCree puts his cigar in his mouth. “Scientist.” He revs the motorcycle. “Whatever.”

The bike zooms off the same way the platform vehicle went.

Elaina sighs. “Winston will be so mad at me for letting him go.”

“I don’t think so,” Echo tells her.

Elaina looks up at her and smiles. “Nice to meet you by the way.”

“It very much is,” Echo smiles at her. “Elaina is it? Are you injured?”

“Ah yes…” Elaina says. “More like terribly fatigued.”

“Allow me to take you to safety.” She lifts Elaina in her arms and flies off using her strange wings towards the nearest town.


	14. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Upon arriving back at the Watchpoint late in the evening with Echo, Elaina finds two things waiting for her in her room. The first is a tiny cherry blossom branch on her pillow.

She looks around the room for further evidence of him but finds none. Then she goes to the hall and looks down both ways. Nothing. Lastly, she goes to the door she had seen him come out of that last day she was with him. Breathing too fast, she opens the door and goes in, without knocking.

Empty.

Well, void of life. It is still very clearly Genji’s room though. It offers simple furnishing and a floor bed. The desk held no computer and instead had supplies for calligraphy and candles. The walls were mostly empty except for one very nice Japanese style art piece featuring two dragons, one blue and one green. 

Elaina returns to her room and picks up the branch from her pillow. She kinda wants to throw it out the window but knew that doing so would make her cry. Instead, she leaves it on her desk next to the keyboard.

The second thing was a message from Jesse:

_Hey Elaina, sorry for ditching you at Route 66, hopefully the gang didn’t harp on you too much for it._

Winston had been disappointed with the news that McCree would not be returning, but was elated to see Echo and Elaina took the opportunity to slip away from punishment. 

_I am mainly messaging you as a favor to another actually. Bars had requested that I give ya his contact code so that you can call or message him. Anyways, happy trails to ya. And seek out better company than that damn ninja please. That’s all I’m gonna say about it._

_-McCree_

  
  


At the bottom of the message was Bars’s contact code. Elaina had never used a contact code before, it’s longer than a phone number and included some letters. She quickly solved the issue with a Google search finding that there was an app for it on her phone and PC. Smiling to herself, she vowed to call him tomorrow, she was still very tired from traveling and saving Bars’s life and really wanted a long night’s rest.

That night she dreamt of Genji. It was the day he let his guard down and kissed her. Except instead of intimacy, he attacked her, breaking her arm. He ran away and as she cried on the floor of the training grounds, Bars came to her and healed her with biotic grasp. His face transformed into Jesse’s and they kissed fiercely. The dream ended with Genji returning to kill Jesse with his katana. 

Elaina woke shaking and sweaty. She sits up and looks over at the cherry blossom branch on the desk.

After not sleeping well post nightmare, Elaina awakens earlier than she usually would. Active agents tend to rise very early, she had noticed, and assumes that there may actually be someone in the communal kitchen at this hour.

Just as she reaches for the handle of the door, Jesse’s note from yesterday resurfaces in her mind.

_What time is it in America right now?_

Elaina sits down on the chair for desk work and pulls her phone out to discover the answer. Google tells her that Bars’s time zone is nine hours behind her own. So if it was five twenty-three am, then… She holds her fingers out counting back. 

_It would be eight twenty-three pm? The day before. Bars would be awake at this hour right? Does he even sleep?_

Elaina is immediately frustrated by her less than basic knowledge of omnics. Perhaps speaking with him now would only make her look stupid. She spins in the chair, mulling over her thoughts. 

_Would Bars be nice enough to help satisfy my insatiable need to know more about the omnic race? Is it selfish of me to use him like that?_

Elaina decides that instead of calling him as she had previously promised to, she would message him instead. The intervals between answers will help her think more coherently.

_E: Hello? Bars? This is Elaina. Were you available to chat?_

Elaina puts the phone in her pocket and leaves the room.

Just before entering the kitchen, her pocket vibrates.

_B: Good morning Elaina._

Elaina smiles at the text. Did he think of the time zone difference too?

_E: How are you?_

She takes cereal from the cabinet. The kitchen is empty, but perhaps someone would join her later? Maybe even Genji.

_B: I am well, thank you for asking. And thank you for speaking with me again, I have thought a lot about you._

Elaina really wasn’t expecting him to be so polite. Yes, she had not spoken conversationally with omnics previously but he was part of an outlaw gang. He has to have killed people before. Maybe he’s only polite to her?

_E: Of course! I have honestly been thinking a lot about you too._

Is this flirting?

_B: Will you tell me more about yourself?_

Elaina chokes on some of the milk she’s eating with her cereal, immediately thinking back on her conversation with McCree about Genji’s selfishness.

_E: Okay. Will you be more specific?_

_B: When’s your birthday?_

What?! That’s such a strange first thing to ask. Perhaps this is just a polite way of asking how old she is. Or perhaps… Jesse is egging him on.

_E: January 6th_

_B: What about your favorite color?_

_E: It used to be purple but now I think it might be green._

Bars is very quick to respond to anything she says. She supposes it's because it goes straight to his mind? Afraid that the conversation is one-sided she adds:

_E: What about you? Will you tell me about you?_

This response takes longer. Elaina cleans the bowl she used to eat and puts both it and the spoon into the washer.

_B: I don’t think so._

Elaina stares down disbelieving at her phone. “What?!” she exclaims out loud.

“Elaina?” Angela walks into the room. Elaina rarely sees her outside of a lab coat. She wears a light blue button-up and white slacks. Black and other such dark colors are completely absent from her wardrobe apparently.

“Oh sorry Angela,” Elaina tucks the phone back in her pocket without responding to Bars.

Angela laughs, walking to the coffee maker. “Why are you apologizing?”

“I was just… Nevermind.” Elaina looks away from her, embarrassed. “Hey, have you seen Genji around?”

“Hm?” Angela looks back at her as she scoops coffee grounds into the machine. “No not since he left.”

Elaina thinks back on the cherry blossom branch. No way she imagined it. She didn’t bring one back from Japan and had just forgotten about it? “Are there any cherry blossom trees around here?” she asks instead.

Angela’s eyebrows rise. “Not that I know of.” She waits for Elaina to elaborate. When she doesn’t, “He has reached out to you then?”

Elaina’s phone vibrates in her pocket, both of their eyes going to it.

“Is that him?” Angela steps forward. “I don’t think I have ever communicated casually with Genji over the phone before.”

“It’s not Genji…” Elaina admits.

Something in Elaina’s facial expression narrows Angela’s eyes. “Someone new?”

Elaina is reminded that Angela may be batting for a team different than her own. Was she even telling the truth about not seeing Genji around?

“It’s just a friend…” Elaina swallows.

Angela stares at her minute longer. “I suppose it’s none of my business.” She turns back towards the coffee machine. “Would you like any?”

Elaina really would actually like some coffee but it may not be safe to stay and drink it in this company. “No thank you.”

She smiles at Angela and makes to leave the room. Passing to the left after exiting, she catches Angela staring at her from the corner of her eye.

_B: I’m sorry, let me rephrase that answer. Depends on what you would like to know._

Back in the safety of her own room, Elaina thinks of the first thing she would like to ask Bars about himself.

_E: Do you sleep?_

Elaina is still afraid that this type of question might be inconsiderate to ask, but after his last response, she is much more scared to ask him a personal question.

_B: Yes._

A deep breath escapes her at the one word response. She hasn't been this nervous talking to someone since she first came back to Overwatch. Bars is so completely unpredictable to her, she is sure to over-analyze everything he says.

_B: How did you save me?_

How much did she want to share with him? He is still pretty much a stranger. Thinking of him this way saddens her. The image of their foreheads touching in affection comes to mind.

_E: I shared my life essence with you._

_B: Can all humans do this?_

Elaina chuckles. Does he not know about humans like she does not know about omnics?

_E: No._

_B: Why did you save me? What do you want?_

She pauses, thinking. Want?

_E: I didn’t do it for some kind of reward. I’m a nurse. I save lives because I want to._

_B: No. Your profession saves human lives. I am not human. Many consider me to not even be living._

Elaina almost cries at his response. She clearly has invoked an identity crisis for this omnic man. Her finger hovers above the call button for a few minutes before deciding against it.

_E: You live. My stamina and life brought you back from death. This should be proof enough to anyone, especially me._

Three hours go by before Elaina accepts that he will not be responding.

It was just passing five pm three days after returning from America with Echo, when Winston interrupts Elaina at dinner with Lena. It was real homestyle chili that they had made together with Emily, who was very excited about some new cooking. 

“Agent Elaina…” Winston clears his throat. “Elaina. I have some news for you. It is not good news.”

Elaina looks at him with sad eyebrows. Putting down her spoon, she gets up and faces him.

“Would you like me to tell you alone or…?”

“Yes, let’s go. Sorry Emily, the chili turned out fantastic.” 

Both Emily and Lena look at her concerned. 

“Don’t worry about it! Let’s do it again soon.” 

They smile at her sympathetically.

Elaina smiles back, and follows Winston from the room. He leads them a short ways outside where the sun can be seen at the edge of the horizon. He stops and turns toward her.

“There has been an attack.”

Elaina waits, feeling the steady increase of her heart rate.

“On Seattle. Your brother Yosef, he was involved, and perished in the attack.”

Elaina lifts her hand to her mouth, stifling an immediate sob. Winston pulls her into a hug and her tears soak the fabric of his button-up shirt.

It’s late, past two am, but Elaina can’t sleep. She has watched every news clip about the terrorist attack on Seattle the internet has to offer. Her and Yosef hadn’t spoken in months. He had been very upset with her returning to Overwatch when the recall went out.

“You are helping so many people here, Elaina,” he insisted when she told him she was leaving. “Remember what those people did to you? What they’ve done to the world?”

Josef was a barista in downtown Seattle. He loved to hear all the gossip and politics he could. Elaina was honestly a little reluctant to tell him about the recall in fear that he might tell people about it. Ultimately she decided to confide in him in case she perished in active duty.

“You insulting them is insulting me, Yosef,” Elaina said. “I was with Overwatch.”

“Yeah, sure, but you were never an active agent. You never made any of the meaningful decisions.” He crossed his arms and turned slightly away like that was the end of it.

“Yeah, thanks for reminding me,” she replied hotly.

He looked back at her guiltily.

“Besides, the media has warped your perception of them. They only sought peace and always saved innocent people from terrorist and omnic attacks.”

“That was just a front to get funding for their underground activities.” He got argumentative again.

That’s where her last conversation ended before she left. Elaina has been thinking of trying to reconnect with him for some time but hasn’t got the guts to do it because she still believes he is wrong in his accusations. 

Although Yosef and her seem to have become exact opposites as people, he was her last family. Both her parents had died from sickness when she was in college and she didn’t have any extended family.

Elaina holds her legs close to her, feeling lonelier than ever but not comfortable enough to bother anyone she knows with it. Silent tears streak her face as she spaces out, thinking about her younger days with her family. The way her father would laugh at how messy an eater Josef was, and how her and her mother would practice proper posture.

A knock at the door breaks her daze. She sighs and gets up to answer it. Who could possibly bother her at this hour?

Opening the door reveals a hooded figure with it’s back to her.

“Hello?” she calls unsteadily to it.

It turns, and Genji’s face looks at her from beneath the hood.

“S-sensei!?” Elaina chokes out. She almost closes the door in his face, his human face, wearing an expression of concern.

“May I comfort you in your time of need?” he requests. Her eyes stare transfixed by the movement of his lips, her ears buzzing with the sounds of his voice.

Elaina furiously rubs away tears from her eyes.

He’s here. In the literal flesh. Not only is he not wearing his mask but the skin of his neck shines proudly as well. Her eyes follow his neck to the zipper of his hoodie. No evidence of a shirt. Looking lower, he’s wearing similar pants to the ones he wore back in Hanamura, the ones she still keeps folded neatly in her dresser. His hands were in his pants pockets, not revealing anything there. But his feet seemed to be socked.

Elaina looks down and away from him. “I do not think that would be wise,” she whispers.

“Emotions harbor no wisdom,” he protests. “Please, let me do this for you.”

Genji pulls his left hand out from his pocket and reaches for her face. The warmth of his real skin is intoxicating against her cold wet cheek. She lightly pushes it away before it's too late and she drinks him in.

Genji pushes his hood back off his head and kneels before her, head down. “Please Elaina. Let me repent for the horrible things I have put you through.”

Elaina covers her mouth with her hand to stifle a sob. 

_What should I do?_

She hears Angela pleading with her to save Genji from his eternal sorrow. On her other shoulder McCree warns, “I know him, and I know he’s a selfish prick, please seek out better company than that damn ninja please.”

_His actions here appear selfless, but maybe he’s just trying to save himself from the guilt he feels after treating me so badly; after which he will then leave again._

“I forgive you Sensei,” Elaina says.

Genji looks up, confused. His golden eyes glow from the light in the room behind her.

“There, now you don’t have to feel guilty anymore.” She grabs the edge of the door, meaning to close it.

“ _Matsu_!” Genji catches the door with his right hand. “You won’t allow me to be here with you?”

She frowns at him. “You asked to repent. I gave you absolution. Why would you need to stay?”

He stands, looking down at her sadly. “You are different.”

“Yep, I don’t chase after you love sick anymore, Genji.” Using his first name feels disrespectful considering how she usually addresses him and she swallows. “Your actions lately have been inconsiderate of my feelings, and I have a hard time believing that you asking to help me isn’t just to help yourself.”

Genji face twists into a painful expression. The sight breaks Elaina’s heart and she starts involuntarily crying. She moves to close the door again and this time he lets her. 

Her body collapses against the wood that separates them, slumping down to a fetal position. Crying for a few minutes, her mind clears enough that she wonders what to do next. She reaches for her phone and messages Bars, hoping he will respond.

Elaina wakes the next morning feeling like a raisin. She gulps huge mouthfuls of water from the bottle at her bedside. Thoughts of last night fill her mind immediately and she holds her aching stomach. Although Genji was not allowed to comfort her in her grief, he has at least distracted her from it.

She quickly dresses in a long sleeve shirt and jeans, then ties up her hair. 

Exiting the room, she makes her way towards the cafeteria, in the mood for oatmeal. At the door she is stopped by Lena who has just exited the room. 

“Elaina! Whatever you do, do not go in there,” Lena warns her, holding onto her arm.

“Why?” she asks, trying to peak in. Lena jumps up into her view.

“Genji’s in there,” she whispers. “I didn’t even know he was back.”

“Hmph,” Elaina scoffs. “I won’t let him rule my actions. I want oatmeal and I will get my oatmeal. Even if he is in there.” She holds her chin high, more confident after getting a response from Bars.

“You don’t understand,” Lena continues.

“Enough Lena, let me pass.” Elaina pushes gently past her and into the room.

Inside the room, which is mostly empty as usual, Elaina walks toward the cabinets holding the oatmeal packets. She tries very hard to look and feel casual, knowing that there is at least one other person in the room, and it was most likely Genji.

Moving towards the microwave, she stops as a figure leans against the counter in front of it, blocking its use. Her eyes look up from the floor and her jaw drops.

Leaning against the counter is Genji. But not like any Genji she has ever seen or even ever imagined in one of the many wet dreams she’s had of him.

Her Sensei, still out of his armor, had ditched the hoodie and was now completely shirtless. As previously believed, his entire left arm and chest offered soft but heavily scarred skin. To her surprise, the skin continued down his stomach to the edge of his pants and presumably beyond. His right arm is entirely robotic as is his right pectoral. Without the armor covering him, these parts of him were made of a maroon cybernetic muscle, not unlike his usual suit. In his right hand he holds a cup producing steam, probably tea. The lower half of him is covered, thankfully, by the same pants he’d worn last night.

Elaina removes her eyes from his literally stunning body, and looks him in the eye, a scowl on her face.

Genji’s face appears blank, but she can see the humor dancing behind his eyes.

“That’s a dirty trick,” she growls at him. The oatmeal bag threatens to burst in her hand.

He smiles and turns toward her, “I learned it from you actually.”

Elaina takes a step back and looks away, frustrated. In the corner of the room she spots Angela, who hides behind her book when Elaina makes eye contact. So this was her idea.

“May I access the microwave please?” she asks, still not looking at him.

Genji puts down his tea and steps up close to her. “Why not let me make you some homemade oatmeal?” He sneaks the bag from her hand as she leans back from him.

“Sensei,” she says through gritted teeth.

“ _Watashi no gakusei no nani ga mondai ni natte imasu_?” he looks down at her. His golden eyes look so complex and passionate, her heart beats wildly in her chest. “ _Tetsudawa sete kudasai_.”

“I think I will fast.” She turns away from him and hurries from the room. Outside the door she finds Lena, now with Emily at her side, gossiping.

“What happened?” Lena jumps on her immediately.

“Ugh, geez,” Elaina sighs, trying to cool her hot face with her hands. “I didn’t get any oatmeal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matsu: Wait  
> Watashi no gakusei no nani ga mondai ni natte imasu: What's wrong, my student?  
> Tetsudawa sete kudasai: Let me help you


	15. Racism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Over the next couple of days, despite Elaina vowing that she would not let Genji affect her daily life, does actually do her best to avoid him. He has a very forward way of getting her attention now. Luckily he does appear fully clothed in all these settings, but he still stands too close to her and offers to help her in a variety of ways. 

On the third day of Genji’s return, Bars will finally arrive. Back when she was mourning her brother, Elaina reached out to Bars to see if he would be willing to comfort her. Not only was he on board but he committed to seeing her in person too!

Bars’s plane, which Elaina happily paid for, would arrive at the Gibraltar airway shortly after noon. 

Elaina readies herself in her room that morning, practically shaking with anticipation. She is still very unsure of how she feels towards Bars and is determined to find the answer in this meeting.

Bars and Genji, although both living machines, are very different to her. Genji has actively avoided closeness and intimacy with her since their first meeting. Bars had begged for her closeness, at his death bed yes, but even after his revival he stood close to her and touched her tenderly.

_Does Bars think of me intimately? Do I think of Bars intimately? Was reaching out to him instead of Genji basically commiting to him? What if Bars wants to be together and I’m not sure?_

Instead of standing and shaking, she decides to travel down to Gibraltar early to do some window shopping. 

It takes about half an hour to get down to the town but she still has almost two hours to kill. 

Looking around in the main square, Elaina spies the pub that she and Lena had gone to when they had met McCree for boy advice.

She pushes open the door and steps inside. A waiter approaches and offers her a table. “ _Para uno_?” he asks. 

“Yeah…” Elaina says, a little uncertain. “Actually can I just sit at the bar?”

“Sure.” He switches to English and leads her over to the counter. She sits on one of the stools, placing her bag on the hook at her knees. The waiter moves around the counter and stops in front of her.

“Oh,” Elaina perks up. “Are you also the bartender?”

The man shrugs. “There usually isn’t anyone in here this early so I play many roles. What can I get for you?”

Elaina nods and thinks. She impulsively wants to order a highball, but also really doesn’t want to smell like whiskey when she meets up with Bars. 

_Can he smell?_

“I think maybe a Cosmopolitan?”

Elaina waits patiently, trying to slow the thoughts running through her mind.

_Oh god what if Genji sees us together? Is he the jealous type?_

Her eyes widen and she remembers that nightmare she had where he killed McCree.

“Jesus, you’re shaking like a leaf,” the bartender comments, placing the drink in front of her. “Are you okay?”

“Oh,” Elaina looks up at him. “I’m sorry, yeah I’m just really nervous.”

He looks at her skeptically.

“I tend to overthink things and it gives me crazy anxiety,” she confides in him.

“Well,” he crosses his arms. “In addition to waiter and bartender, I sometimes act as therapist for many who come in here. Want to share your worries? I might be able to dismiss some of them for you.”

“Oh I don’t know if it’s fair to trouble you with it.” She smiles at him appreciatively.

The man looks left and right. “I honestly would prefer it. There’s really nothing else to do.”

Elaina still hesitates. "It’s… Kind of a unique situation.”

The man scoffs. “In this world? No one’s problems are normal.”

“Okay,” she sighs. “I was infatuated with this cyborg man who was discontent with his half mechanical body. I finally break the ice, but he breaks my arm during intimacy. So upset with himself he runs from me.” Elaina stares at the counter as she recounts this, probably too fast for him to follow. “Later I save an omnic man from death and he vows to help me in my time of need. My brother was killed in a terrorist attack, and my…” She doesn’t really know what to call Genji without his name. “The guy I was infatuated with before comes back to comfort me but, I uh, reject him. I reached out to the omnic man I saved and now he’s coming to meet me in a couple of hours.”

Finishing her story she looks up at the bartender. The man’s eyes are wide and his eyebrows are raised.

“Well,” he clears his throat. “I am going to cast aside the fact that they’re omnics, and pretend you are a normal woman where they are both just men.”

Although this sounds fair, Elaina thinks that them being all or part machine is a huge factor for her actions. Does Bars only go to such lengths for her because he’s never had a person care for him as an omnic before? Would Genji not have been so against them joining if he wasn’t part machine? But instead of saying anything, she decides to hear him out.

“The man you saved is clearly grateful for his life. Does this man know you at all? How can you assume he would want to be with you after so little interaction? And if he does, it shouldn’t be the kind of love you should be looking for.

“I had a guy in here one time crying about how this nurse who he fell for didn’t want to be with him and he didn’t understand. I think it ended badly and she had to move hospitals.”

This type of interaction actually was not uncommon at Elaina’s hospital in Seattle either. She just didn’t think it would happen to her as she’s generally standoff-ish and rather off putting to others.

“I appreciate your input,” Elaina says. “That helps a lot.”

“Sure,” he smiles, seemingly proud of himself. “Wait, why did you push the other guy away when he came to you after your brother died?”

“Oh, it felt like he was using my opportune sadness to make up for breaking my arm.”

The guy looked a little confused. “Is that wrong?”

“It just seemed selfish of him. He might not have even come to me if he didn’t feel guilty.”

The man pauses, thinking. “And you think that’s true? You fell for a man that wouldn’t comfort you in your time of need unless obligated to?”

“No…” Elaina admits, still having trouble accepting the things McCree told her a week ago.

“So why didn’t you accept his comfort? He was probably being genuine.”

“I was afraid to rely on him only to have him leave me again shortly after. He kind of has a history of disappearing.”

The bartender frowns at her. “He sounds super unreliable.”

Elaina nods. “It’s difficult to explain to people who don’t know him.” She pauses. “He’s a very broken man.”

“Why would you want to get involved in something like that?”

Elaina chuckles, tracing the glass edges of the cup with her finger. “I am a nurse, it’s kinda what I do.”

Elaina waits in the small airport for Bars’s plane to land.

This area is really not very omnic heavy, and being in a part of Europe, people do tend to shy away from them since the null sector attacks. She’s really hoping he wouldn’t have any trouble getting through. 

Time passes, people come and go, and she gets more nervous. The status of Flight 226 from the DC air-city indicates that it landed forty minutes ago.

Elaina stands, overflowing with fear from sitting with her thoughts, and deciding to exercise her authority on the airport to reveal the status of her friend. She approaches a tall security officer in front of TSA and flashes her badge.

“Sorry to bother you sir,” Elaina says professionally, placing her hands behind her back. “I have business with a passenger from Flight 226 who has not arrived yet. I would like a status report on his whereabouts please.”

The man looks at her badge. The Spanish government has an agreement with Overwatch as an organization that maintains world peace stating that any acting Overwatch agents may request intel from local police with badge presentation. He lifts his hand to the com in his ear. “ _Oficial Ruiz, intel solicitando_.”

Elaina can hear a faint response through the earpiece.

“ _Tengo un agente de la colina aquí en busca de un pasajero del vuelo 226_.” Officer Ruiz looks down at her. “The person’s name, ma’am?”

“Bars,” Elaina swallows after announcing his queer name.

His eyebrow rises at her answer. “Last name?”

“I… Don’t think he has one.”

The officer furrows his brows in question. Ruiz’s partner a short ways away takes interest and walks over to them. Both wait for her to elaborate.

“He’s an omnic sir.” She really doesn’t want to share that information with them, unable to keep the acid from her voice, but it seems to be the only way to progress.

Ruiz takes his hand from his ear. “Do you know the protocol on omnic transportation in Europe, ma’am?”

“No I do not.” Elaina is heating up from the attitude he’s been giving her. “I would love for you to teach me on the way to wherever you lot probably have him tied up though.”

Elaina crosses her arms and looks at them aggressively.

Officer Ruiz has the decency to look away from her after the accusation and lifts his hand to his ear again. Elaina taps her foot impatiently.

“ _Creo que ella está buscando a la persona que había informado sobre anteriormente, Mendoza_ ,” Ruiz speaks into his comms.

After instruction is given to Ruiz via earpiece, he waves for Elaina to follow him. Ruiz instructs his partner to stay behind at the post they had been given.

The officer directs her to a door leading to a kind of service hallway. They walk a ways down the hall, encountering nobody along the way. Elaina wonders if Ruiz can feel her eyes burning a hole in his back.

The back in question stops at a seemingly random door and knocks twice. The door opens to reveal another officer. Elaina can see past them into the room, appearing largely to be an interrogation room. She catches a shiny green eye and swiftly moves past them. 

“Hey!” The female officer who opened the door grabs Elaina’s arm as she tries to push past her.

Elaina gets far enough in to see Bars in a chair with his arms tied behind him. She can’t see his face as his head is hung low, chin to his chest.

Believing the worst, Elaina yanks her arm from the officer's grip. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Ma’am-” the woman begins, her hand creeping to her nightstick.

Bars raises his head. Elaina has never seen him without his hood on, and the vulnerability it gives him fuels the already raging fire. 

“Elaina?” he calls out to her.

She crosses the room to his side, kneeling next to him and placing a hand on his cheek.

“Oh Bars, I’m so sorry.”

Elaina can see the female officer wave her head in disbelief at Elaina’s tenderness. She looks up at the woman through her eyebrows, daring her to say something.

“It’s not your fault. We were uneducated on the customs of this place,” Bars selflessly tries to soothe her.

“They didn’t hurt you did they?” her attention now back on him.

“No.”

Elaina stands next to him, hand on his shoulder, facing the officers. “Release him immediately. He has done nothing wrong.”

“Ma’am, it doesn’t have clear identification on its purpose here or how long it will be staying.”

“It!?” Elaina looks down at Bars, who says nothing. She takes a deep breath, knowing that yelling won’t help their cause. “Did he not tell you he came to see me as I mourn my dead brother?”

The officer tenses at the acid in her voice. “He did. But he did not bring proof of this.”

“Am I not proof enough?”

“It-...He,” the officer corrects herself. “Needs forms from his owner, specifically form OM87…”

“Owner?! You’re fucking joking. Isn’t slavery illegal?”

“Elaina, it’s fine,” Bars speaks softly. “I am used to this assumption.”

Elaina closes her eyes and steadies her rapid breathing. “Okay officer. What can I do to assist him in this process? May I fill out that form for him?”

“If you are willing to assume responsibility for him and his actions here in Spain, then yes.”

Elaina nods consent and kneels next to Bars again. She places her hand behind his neck and brings his forehead to hers.

Bars sighs, savoring the physical contact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Para uno: for one?  
> Oficial Ruiz, intel solicitando: Officer Ruiz, requesting intel  
> Tengo un agente de la colina aquí en busca de un pasajero del vuelo 226: I have a Hill agent here looking for a passenger from flight 226  
> Creo que ella está buscando a la persona que había informado sobre anteriormente, Mendoza: I believe she is looking for the one you had reported on earlier, Mendoza


	16. Abduction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end (lots of Spanish, probably poorly translated)

After an hour of arguing with the airport personnel, Bars and Elaina leave the horrible place behind them.

“Thank you,” Bars says. He has his green hood back in place and doesn’t look any worse for wear.

“No Bars, thank you,” Elaina insists. “You came here for me, remember?”

“Yes, I did.” Elaina is beginning to pick up cues in the way Bars talks and can tell he would be smiling if he could.

“I thought that maybe you were having trouble because of your involvement with Deadlock.”

“A fair assumption. I am usually not seen during our runs and therefore not taken into account in any listings.”

Elaina nods. That’s probably for the best. She notices the black vest he wears now does not offer the Deadlock Ensignia. He really doesn’t need any more reasons for people to hate him. If anyone found out that he’s an omnic that commits violence for a living, he would be in pieces in the street right now. 

On that note, Elaina does feel a sense of uneasiness as her and Bars move through the city. People stare, some even hastily move inside at the sight of him.

If only Bars would cover up more. The hood is good, and he covers his legs with black chaps, but his impressive arms shine and much of his torso could be seen under the short vest. His impressive boot feet click loudly on the concrete sidewalk, bringing anyone and everyone’s attention to them.

Never noticing the complete lack of omnic presence in this neighborhood, it is now painfully obvious.

“Why do you let people treat you so horribly?” Elaina asks him, unable to stop herself, even though it’s undoubtedly a sensitive subject.

“I’ve never been treated like a human being,” Bars says flatly. “This type of attention is standard, for me, and my brothers.”

“Is that why you joined the Deadlock Gang?”

Bars considers this. “I am not sure what you mean by that.”

“I mean… Did you join the gang to get back at society?”

He laughs, she thinks; the sound seems out of character for him. “No. I actually joined to learn self defense.”

They move through the city and it is not lost upon her that as they travel, less and less people pass by. Elaina cringes as he tells her about his horribly unfair life. 

“Me and some of my kind used to live down in Mexico as factory workers,” Bars tells her. “There was this gang, Los Muertos I believe they called themselves, that did not like me and the others.”

Elaina and Bars stand at a street corner, waiting for the light to turn. It’s getting later in the year so the sun is approaching the horizon earlier every day. Elaina can’t help but look over her shoulder. Some shadows move against the nearby building.

“At some point, Los Muertos decided to get rid of us.”

Elaina looks back at him and the walk sign changes. She scampers across, Bars keeping pace beside her.

“I escaped, but I do not believe that the others survived.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Yes. America was the closest country with more tolerance toward my kind, so I fled there. Not as accepting as some of the countries in Africa, but better than Mexico. And much better than most of Europe,” he scoffs.

Elaina can feel them. The menace, the eyes. 

“Bars…” Elaina moves closer to him, terrified to the point panic, and grabs his hand.

“I know, I see them too.” He glances down one of the alleys that they pass. “You might need to run.”

“What?” Elaina looks up at him in disbelief. “No way I’m leaving you. I-I brought you here. If anything happened to you, it would be my fault.” The words cough out of her constricted throat and she holds onto his hand tighter.

“I don’t think they would chase you,” Bars ignores her self accusations. “If you ran.”

“Bars, please,” Elaina begs him as she walks as fast as possible toward the shuttle transportation to the Watchpoint. Just a half mile away now.

“I’ll be fine,” he reassures her. “Takes a lot to break my bones.”

Tears blur her vision, frustrated and helpless. 

_Fuck. How can I do this to him? Why didn’t I bring a weapon with me?_

She’s never felt threatened in this city. 

_Why? Why does it have to be this way? Why can’t omnics lead normal lives?_

The figures come now from the shadows.

“Go Elaina,” Bars commands her, trying to pull his hand from hers.

“N-no,” she chokes out.

“I’ll get more hurt trying to protect you.”

“Come with me,” she begs again, pulling his hand toward the shuttle. “Let’s run together!”

Bars looks down at her. “You are a strange woman.”

“Oye,” one of the shadows calls out, stopping them. “Need some help, señora? That filthy machine making you cry?”

Elaina wipes away her tears. “Fuck off,” she growls.

“ _Guau_ ,” another shadow comments. “Calm down. We’ll take care of him quick, _lo prometo_.”

“Please Elaina,” Bars tries to persuade her, again trying to push her away from him.

Elaina can feel the fear and anger power the biotic grasp creeping down her arm. Bars assumes a defensive stance next to her, only now freeing his hand.

More shadows appear. Three, four… Seven in total. They are surrounded. Any thought of running now would be unrealistic.

There’s too many. Even if she had a weapon other than biotic grasp, they would overtake them. Unless… How capable is Bars?

One of the shadows suddenly swings a bat at Bars’s head. He catches it and crushes the wood in his grasp, breaking the bat in two.

“Okay,” the bat wielding shadow says, backing up and throwing the last bit aside. “ _Qué tal esto_?”

The man pulls something from his back pocket. Showing it off, he reveals to them that it’s a taser. The other shadows whoop to egg him on.

“No!” Elaina yells, anticipating what the shock might do to Bars and throws her right arm out in front of her, engaging the biotic grasp.

The man twitches violently, almost like being tased himself Elaina notices. Then the disgusting man’s memories flood her mind. Domestic violence… 

Elaina shakes her head, trying to dismiss the stolen images, struggling to keep her eyes open. 

Rape her, she asked for it. 

My brother drowning in the ocean. 

_Stop._

Tearing an omnic man to pieces. What a filthy creation.

“What she doin to Julio?!” a gang member calls, a thousand miles away.

A rough hand grabs her wrist, yanking her off her feet. Her body meets the ground with a slap, disorientating her.

The pressure at her wrist leaves and she struggles to sit up. She looks up, blinking away the stolen memories to see Bars twisting her captor’s arm unnaturally till it breaks.

The man lets out a blood curdling scream and Elaina cowers, holding her ears.

Another crack finds its way past her hands into her ears. She shutters at the following silence.

“Elaina,” Bars says softly. His voice is close and she unfolds herself to look at him. Crouched next to her, he holds out a hand to help her up.

“ _¿Qué hacemos?_ ” a man hisses at the remaining group.

“ _El es grande. Tal vez deberíamos dejarlos ir…_ ”

“ _Él es más problemático de lo que pensábamos._ ”

“ _Llevar a la chica_ ,” a female voice suggests.

Bars’s head snaps up to look at the woman. Then, without Elaina taking his hand, he rises to stand protectively before her. “ _Usted no va a tocarla_.”

“Wha…?” Elaina looks up at the back of Bars, towering before her.

The shadows, who had originally gathered to discuss their next move, now begin to circle them again like hyenas.

Elaina wimpers, feeling just as afraid as before, despite Bars’s obvious proficiency in combat.

All members move in at once, surprisingly coordinated. The two who strafed behind Bars grab Elaina by the legs, dragging her away. She grips the rough concrete vainly to try and escape. 

Bars turns to dispatch them, foolishly taking his attention off the three in front of him and they take the opportunity to dogpile him to the ground. Their combined weight isn’t enough to pin him long though and he pushes up off the ground, securing the first neck he can find.

“¡Detener!”

Bars freezes, a mere second from crushing the life out of a second goon. His head turns toward the voice. The sharp edge of a knife almost bites through the skin at Elaina’s neck.

“Release him!” the knife wielder instructs. His hand shakes in fear, vibrating the knife just enough to barely cut the skin. 

Bars stands to his full height as the man in his grasp claws desperately at the metal fingers around his throat. The other members he’s thrown off run out of reach.

“An impasse,” Bars says. “Give her back to me, and I will release him.”

Elaina’s detainer scoffs. “I don’t make deals with machines.”

“Pablo! _Si se deja que me mate, frecuentaré se,_ ” Bars’s victim can barely threaten through his crushed windpipe.

“Then what is it you want?” Bars asks calmly.

“Come with us,” the man smirks, believing he’s won, “and then I will let her go.”

“Bars don’t-” Elaina begins, but is muffled by a hand over her mouth.

“Shh… Don’t interfere chica,” the man purrs in her ear.

Bars tenses at the interaction, the man in his hand struggling even more. “And if I refuse?”

“I will kill her obviously.”

“Then I will kill you,” Bars concludes. “Are you so sure you wish to sacrifice your life and the lives of your fellows for such an endeavor?”

“ _El tiene razón, Pablo, vamos a cortar nuestras pérdidas, volver Enrique, y vete_ ,” the other man next to him says quietly.

“No,” Pablo rounds on him. “ _Mirar a este chico. Es una mina de oro._ ” He turns his attention back to the negotiation. “I am thinking you value her life more than revenge, amigo.”

Elaina mewls, knowing it’s true.

The group holds its breath. Distant sounds of a normal city whine in the distance.

Bars throws the man down, turning away from her. “Goodbye Elaina.”

Pablo chuckles and the gang converges on him, roughly tying his hands behind his back.

“Thanks chica,” Pablo kisses her on the cheek, immediately invoking a recoil. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Roughly pushing her to the ground, he runs to join his crew. A car pulls up and they throw Bars into the trunk.

“No! Bars!” Elaina stumbles to her feet, unsure what she would even do if she caught up to the vehicle.

The car growls loudly as it peels out down the street and out of sight, leaving her alone with their dead.

“I-I… What… Do I…?” she stammers, pulling on her hair, panic attack rising within her body. 

_They’ll kill him, violently. Especially after what he’s done._

That man’s filthy memories prove it. His death is all her fault. 

_Please someone. Please. What do I do?_

She looks around frantically. She screams again, tears streaming from her eyes making it difficult to see. Thoughts race in her mind, too fast to comprehend. Hyperventilation and sheer panic is all she knows.

“Please,” she begs again. 

Elaina falls to her knees and looks at her hands, shaking uncontrollably. The right one is still purple from the biotic grasp.

_Think Elaina. Please think coherent thoughts._

_Goodbye Elaina._

“Fuck!”

She pats herself all over, to try and bring herself back. In doing so, she feels her phone in her pocket.

_Help! I have to call someone for help._

Elaina yanks the phone out of her pocket, almost dropping it with her unstable hands. 

Genji. Genji. Genji. Her mind screams the solution. 

Elaina tries to dial the number for the Watchpoint, messing up multiple times and cursing while doing it. She eventually gets through and begs the operator to wire her to Genji somehow.

After a painfully long forty seven seconds she hears his beautiful voice on the other end.

“Gakusei?”

“S-sensei… Please, please help me, please,” she sobs into the phone. Her palms sweat and she grips the phone harder, afraid of dropping it.

“Elaina, where are you? What happened?”

“They’ll kill him Genji, please. It’s my fault, he-” she hiccups.

“Elaina. Where are you?” his stern voice interrupts her rambling.

“I-I’m in Gibraltar, a q-quarter mile from the shuttle, please Genji.”

“Do not go anywhere. I am coming,” he hangs up.

Elaina starts to pace in the dark deserted street, then looks in the direction that the car went. She starts to walk that way too but fears that if she strays too far, Genji won’t be able to find her. Instead, she walks back towards her original destination of the shuttle bus station.

On her way there she notices a figure on the ground. The man’s arm is bent in a horrendous way, the skin at his neck twisted like clay. Elaina gags, running from the body, and straight into another one. Tripping back, she lands on her butt. Except this one isn’t a corpse. His chest rises and falls with steady breathing. It’s the man she “tased” earlier.

_Was this their leader?_

He must know where they’ve taken Bars.

_I need to… But I can’t._

Ultimately, Elaina decides to stay where she is instead of going to the bus stop.

After partly achieving a solution by getting into contact with Genji, her mind grants at least a little clarity. She paces frantically, waiting for Genji to arrive, wondering how long it will take and if she shouldn’t just wake the man, choke the information out of him and run after the now long gone car. 

_Sensei definitely wouldn’t take the shuttle right? Will he run? Is that faster?_

Ten minutes pass and Elaina is hyperventilating again. She’s on the ground with her head between her knees.

“He’s fucking dead,” she tells herself through the tears. “You fucking killed him. Oh Bars...”

The sun has pretty much set, cloaking everything in desolate shadow.

Elaina hugs her knees and weeps silently, more disgusted with herself than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guau: Wow  
> lo prometo: I promise  
> Qué tal esto: How about this?  
> ¿Qué hacemos?: What do we do?  
> El es grande. Tal vez deberíamos dejarlos ir…: He's big. Maybe we should just let them go.  
> Él es más problemático de lo que pensábamos: He's more problematic than we thought.  
> Llevar a la chica: Take the girl  
> Usted no va a tocarla: you will not touch her  
> Si se deja que me mate, frecuentaré se: If you let him kill me, I will haunt you  
> El tiene razón, Pablo, vamos a cortar nuestras pérdidas, volver Enrique, y vete: He’s right, Pablo, let’s cut our losses, get Enrique, and leave  
> Mirar a este chico. Es una mina de oro: Look at him. The man's a gold mine.


	17. Kyōaku-han

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GRAPHIC VIOLENCE WARNING
> 
> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign text at end

A rumbling in the distance grows louder as it approaches her position. She lifts her head to a hovercycle whipping out from a corner, suspension screaming, and coming straight at her.

“Genji?” she says quietly to herself and gets up. The headlight is pointed directly at her, so it’s unmistakably him.

The hovercycle stops abruptly in front of her and Genji hops off, quickly closing the distance between them.

“G-Genji,” she sobs again, covering her mouth with her hands. She takes a few steps and falls onto him.

“Elaina,” he holds her tight against him, laying his masked cheek on her forehead. “Are you injured?”

“No,” a sudden sense of urgency in her. “Genji we have to go, we have to go fast!” She yanks on his arm, pointing in the direction of the long gone car.

“Where are we going?” He pulls her off of him and steadies her, left hand coming up to her face to wipe her wet cheeks.

“Some thugs took Bars, Genji, they're going to kill him, it’s all my fault, oh God please help me,” she babbles the thoughts that have been plaguing her these past ten minutes. “He’s probably already dead.”

“That way, Gakusei?” He points in the same direction that he had earlier.

“Yeah, they drove off in a car that way,” she points to an adjacent street corner, correcting him slightly.

“Who is Bars?” Genji asks.

“Bars is,” she noticeably hesitates, “a f-friend.”

“Do you know why they took him?” he crosses his arms in his interrogation. “I would assume _Hanzai-sha_ to kidnap women, not men.”

Elaina rolls her lips together. “He’s omnic.”

“Omnic? And you brought him here, Gakusei?” he asks in disbelief.

Her body collapses in grief. “I already know I’m at fault!”

“Ah,” he sputters. “Forgive me, that was callous of me.”

Elaina’s body shakes as she cries against her knees.

“Do you have any idea where they’ve taken him?” he rubs her back, trying to calm her.

“I-I,” she runs a finger under her nose after raising her head, “don’t know where they went but he probably does…” 

Genji follows the path of her pointing finger to the still unconscious man on the ground ten feet away. He strides over, street lights reflecting off his body as he passes under it and squats down next to the unconscious figure. First he pulls the smaller of his two blades from his back, then pats the man on the cheek. After no response, Genji takes his hand and covers both his mouth and nose.

“What’s happened to him?” Genji asks as he waits for the man to resurface from asphyxiation.

Elaina rubs her right arm, “I drained him.”

The man coughs awake after Elaina’s answer. Genji holds his wakizashi to the man’s throat.

“Tell me where your hideout is, _shikaku_ , or I will gut you.”

Elaina has never seen this side of Genji before, immediately remembering McCree’s description of his behavior: impatient and cut-throat. The amount of menace he can lace into his voice combined with the fear of being cut is overwhelming.

The man brings his hand to his head, trying to come to.

“Now,” Genji insists, pushing the blade against the man’s throat. Elaina’s hand comes up to her own throat, feeling the dried blood.

The man looks up at him. “Another one of those filth-”

In a rapid motion, Genji pins the man to the floor with his wakizashi, straight through the upper arm.

The thug screams and instinctively reaches to remove the blade. Genji reaches it before him though, ruthlessly yanking it out, blood flying off the blade like a paintbrush.

“Your intestines will shine on this street tonight,” Genji warns, the now bloodied wakizashi at the man’s throat again. Elaina watches in awe, trying not to hold her breath.

The man holds his arm and groans, still not responding.

“ _Kekkō_ ,” he lifts his blade above the man’s stomach and thrusts downward.

“Wait!” the man calls out, the blade’s tip a centimeter into his flesh. “The corner of fifth avenue and port way, there’s a warehouse, it’s there.”

Genji rises and sheathes the wakizashi. He takes one last look at the man cradling his arm, then kicks him hard in the head, knocking him out. Elaina gasps, tumbling to the floor from her squat.

Genji walks up to her and offers a hand. Seeing no blood on it, Elaina takes it and he pulls her to her feet. He maintains the hold on her hand, pulling her over to his ride.

He gets on and ignites the engine. “Get on Gakusei.”

Elaina actually smiles and mounts the hovercycle behind him. “Thank you.”

The mechanism keeping the cycle still releases and they're off like lightning into the night.

Blindingly cold winds whips her face as Genji maneuvers the bike through the streets, breaking many laws in the process. Elaina can’t stop crying and her tears freeze on her face in the wind. She presses her head against Genji’s strong back to escape the cold.

The bike slows and she brings her face up to look around. The area is near the ocean, as a warehouse probably should be as it would receive cargo from ships. It’s seemingly deserted too. Anyone that might work in the area would not be here this late. The street lights give the place an eerie back-alley look.

Genji reingages the motion lock and lifts off the bike, then turns to pick Elaina off it too.

“Gakusei,” he gets her attention. A light hissing sound announces that he’s removed the lower half of his mask to speak with her. “I am not so foolish to ask you to wait here.”

Elaina looks at him, still crying silent tears and nods. His face is full of determination, with a touch of anger.

“However, you must obey my instructions when I give them to you.”

_Go Elaina, run._

The regret she feels at not following Bars’s instructions swells like a balloon within her. Once it pops, she nods, affirming obedience. Genji pushes in a mechanism on the side of the bike, revealing a handgun. He takes it out and hands it to her.

Taking a deep breath she checks the ammo reserves.

“ _Kyōaku-han_ aren’t usually smart enough to post spotters but just in case we will approach silently along the wall. Understand?”

Elaina is still shaking but nods. He kisses her on the forehead, then replaces the mask on his face and couches as low to the ground as possible while still being able to move quickly. Elaina follows.

The two of them skirt the edge of the building next to the indicated warehouse. They do actually come across a posted guard, but Genji swiftly disarms him and now has him in a chokehold, hand over his mouth.

“Gakusei,” he turns to her again. “I will kill these men.”

The man struggles more, screaming against Genji’s hand. His wide eyes are shaking as he stares at Elaina, who waits to answer.

“Do I have your consent?” Genji asks, squeezing the man’s neck harder, turning him purple.

“What if there are women?”

“If they fight me, they will die, gender or no.”

Elaina closes her eyes and sees the rape, murder, and other such disgusting crimes that have invaded her head. Opening them again, she looks Genji dead in the eye. “Yes.”

The man muffles a scream one more time before Genji breaks his neck. Elaina shudders at hearing the sound a second time tonight and Genji places him quietly on the ground. 

Thinking back, she wonders if he intentionally killed the man in the square earlier when he kicked him in the head. It’s highly likely.

“Gakusei,” he requests her attention again. “We will sneak in low through that open door.” His thumb points to the large open sliding door that has light and loud voices spilling from it. “I will go right and you will go left.”

Elaina is uncertain about separating from him. “Why are we splitting up?”

“I will dispose of the _gomi_ , you will locate Bars.”

Elaina nods. “How do you know B-Bars,” she swallows. “Will be to the left?”

“Look,” Genji points up the side of the building. There are high windows giving off light. Elaina follows Genji’s finger as it moves lower to the left, pointing to a smaller room attached to the warehouse. It has no windows on it, but if it did, one would probably be able to look into the room just walking by. “I am assuming they brought him in there, not in the large warehouse room. Once inside, hide immediately. I will get their attention, and you will move to the room.”

Elaina swallows again.

“If I am wrong in my assumption of the layout or Bars’s position, come back to me and we will work together instead, but I fear time is of the essence and I want you to reach him as fast as possible.”

Elaina nods and he turns around, moving towards the open door. At the edge he follows the shadows bordering the light, ending up on the other side of the doorway.

Genji signals to her, his body’s lights turn off, and he slips around the corner inside. Mustering any amount of bravery she has left, Elaina mimics his movement.

Inside the warehouse, Elaina runs along the wall to the first form of cover, a worktable, and dives underneath. She peers out from under the table at the new environment. 

The large room holds many tables, none of which seem to hold any kind of product; instead, many alcohol bottles litter the tabletops, as well as other drugs and weapons. Being this low to the ground she cannot ascertain how many people are in the building. They are all yelling though, and it sounds like they might be either fighting or playing a game. 

Elaina prays to any God who would listen that Bars is not in the middle of that crowd. From what she can see of those occupying the room, there are four men in front of her, facing the middle, leaning against other work tables and drinking.

Determined to follow her Sensei’s instructions, she waits under the table. For only for a brief second, she sees him skirting the far wall. Above him hangs the desecrated remains of other omnic, hanging lifelessly. She quickly scans their horrible broken bodies but doesn’t see the likeness of Bars.

Elaina shakes her head and tries to steady herself. She looks left, to her destination.

The door to the room Genji indicated stands ajar at the end of the wall her table’s against. A faint light shines through the crack before shadow passes by, obstructing it.

“Uuuahh!” a death cry pierces the room. Elaina looks through a gap between the legs of tables and men. She sees a man hanging from a large blade, blood screaming from his body. The man is thrown aside and flies off the blade, tumbling across the floor.

Genji stands from his crouched position, engaging his body’s lights again.

“ _Shi no nioi ka? Yoshi! Itsu demo koi_ ,” he announces to the room.

“It’s another one of those _máquina sucia_!” One man yells.

“He killed Rueben!” another says.

“ _Matar a ese hijo de puta_!”

Genji doesn’t move, but promptly becomes the eye of a murderous storm, every body in the room converging on his position.

Elaina hesitates. The sheer number of people in the room must be at least five times as many as Bars took on in the streets. What if she loses both Bars and Genji to her selfishness?

On the verge of breaking down, she catches two figures bust from the smaller room she was heading to also join in the fight against the new threat.

Elaina stumbles to her feet and runs to the open door, thinking maybe if she can free Bars, they can help with the fight. 

Gunfire, blood slapping the ground and many cries of agony echo through the warehouse as she crosses the barrier of the large room to the smaller one. Just as she enters, a dragon growls.

The sight of the room burns her wide eyes as she takes it in and collapses to her knees.

The room holds one center table, about the length of a human body, and two others against the wall on the right side of the room holding supplies for… She did not want to think what.

A huge surgical light hangs above the middle table providing the most light in the room and shines down on Bars’s body, motionless upon the table.

Elaina scrambles up, dropping the handgun and runs to the tableside. Upon reaching it, she turns to the side and vomits on the floor from panic and disgust.

Bars’s left arm is missing and his right is bent unnaturally in at the bicep, an almost ninety degree angle over the side of the table. His black vest has been torn open and his chest plate is bashed in. By far the most horrific discovery is the plate covering on the top of his head has been ruthlessly torn off, exposing the inner workings.

“Euagh,” Elaina tries to make words, wiping her mouth on a sleeve. “B-Bars,” she tries again and moves to the other side of the table, where his face is. “Bars. Please no.” 

The tears thankfully begin to cloud her vision. She reaches for either side of his face and brings her forehead to what remains of his. He doesn’t respond and his eyes do not glow, his left green one cracked.

“I-I k-killed you, Bars,” she whispers to his body. “I-I did.” Wrapping her arms around his chest, she pulls him from the table.

His extremely heavy body falls and they crash to the floor. She holds him, crying against his ripped vest and remains this way until...

A light touch on her shoulder brings her back and she looks up.

“Elaina,” Genji is crouched down next to her.

“G-Genji, Genji please help,” she begs him. “Is he dead? What do I do?”

“Let me see him,” he asks, holding out his arms.

Elaina doesn’t want to let go of him but tries to move his weight over to Genji anyways.

Genji props him up on his knee and gently pushes his head down to look at it.

“I can’t say,” Genji confides, disappointment in his voice. “I can say it looks like they took something though.” Genji looks up at her anticipatory face. “Go look for his arm, it might be where they left his brain too.”

Elaina grimaces at the word brain and slowly rises. “Genji I used biotic energy to heal him last time. Let me try again.”

Genji considers this. “No Gakusei, he is physically missing parts. Your power cannot create only repair.”

Elaina feels so incredibly helpless, she almost can’t move.

“Elaina, go find the rest of him,” Genji commands again.

Turning around, she walks towards the sinister tables along the wall. Her arms encircle her own body, trying to hold her broken pieces together.

Bars’s arm is in clear view on the table and she picks it up, cradling it close to her. She keeps looking, completely unsure what she should be looking for. Many mechanical parts litter the table, probably parts of omnic people she realizes, and grimaces again.

“Genji,” she turns around, still holding Bars’s arm. “I-I really don’t know what to look for.”

Genji nods and lifts Bars in his arms walking over. “Can you support him?”

Bars’s body almost crushed her falling from the table, but she takes a deep breath and nods anyways.

Genji lifts Bars by the torso and places him against her. She wraps her arms around him, Bars’s arm still tight in her hand and tenses. The weight makes her stagger and Genji catches her arm.

Elaina settles herself better and stands proudly with Bars, his head lulling on her shoulder. Genji observes her a moment longer, then turns his attention to the table.

Elaina sways back and forth, cradling the omnic man and crying silently while Genji looks.

“I’m sorry Bars,” she whispers to Bars, rubbing her cheek on his rough torn vest.

Genji picks up a few things and holds them up against Bars’s open head, judging each piece.

After a few moments, he holds a handful of mechanical pieces.

“I believe one of these items is what is needed to bring him back,” Genji shows her.

Elaina gasps, losing her grip on the omnic for a second and scrambling to catch his falling body. She succeeds, barely. “Bring him back? You mean…”

“Gakusei, omnics were built to last. That’s why the war with them is such a dangerous one.”

She looks down at Bars, his eyes dim, and smiles.

“I will not guarantee his resurrection, but I am also not confident of his death.”

Elaina looks up at him sadly.

“We need to leave now, before we are charged with this crime. Let me carry Bars.” He holds out his arm.

“N-no,” Elaina stutters, moving Bars to the side.

“Gakusei,” he takes a step toward her. “Now.” 

She stands adamantly in front of him. He sighs and moves behind her. He slips the pieces that might be Bars into her pocket and in a swift motion, sweeps her up in his arms, Bars on top of her.

The weight seems to be his limit, as he grunts and breathes heavily with each movement.

Once back in the main room of the warehouse, Elaina witnesses the undeniable carnage that had occured when the gang decided to fight her Sensei. She quickly looks away, burying her head in Bars’s shoulder in front of her. The smell of blood is thick on the air though, and Elaina can feel the bile rise in her throat again.

Luckily, Genji hurries outside and the cool air greets her. She lifts her face away from Bars and looks up at the night sky. The rhythmic motion of Genji’s body moving as he walks, luls her slightly.

Genji stops, and Elaina sees that they are in front of the hovercycle.

“I’m going to set you down now Gakusei,” Genji’s arms are shaking from the strain. He lowers her slowly and makes sure she’s stable with Bars before completely separating from her.

Genji sighs and rolls his shoulders. The pistons release and steam hisses out of them. Elaina is sure if he had a shirt collar, he would be pulling on it.

“ _Yoroshī,_ ” he says. “Hold him between us as I ride.”

Elaina looks at Bars and then at the bike nervously.

“I will not ride as recklessly as before,” Genji chuckles.

“O-okay…” Elaina is still really unsure of this plan.

“Do you have a better idea, Gakusei?” Genji crosses his arms and the pistons retract back in.

“I…” Elaina starts. “Do not.”

Genji nods and helps Elaina mount the motorcycle with Bars still in her arms, not forgetting to take his loose arm.

“Ready?” he asks, now in the front.

“I-I think so,” Elaina’s arms barely reach around Bars enough to get a hold on Genji.

He revs the hovercycle and they begin moving slowly.

“Hey Sensei,” she calls out to him. He turns his head signaling that he’s listening. “Where’d you get this hovercycle?”

Genji takes a turn gently, moving towards the hill leading to the Watchpoint. “It’s Tracer’s,” he calls out.

Elaina smiles to herself, thinking that despite the fear, violence, and murder, Genji looks stunning on a hovercycle. The gaping hole in Bars’s head, positioned adjacent to her face brings her mood down again, and she hugs him tighter.

The ride back is painfully slow, and dangerous with the three of them on the bike. Elaina wishes she could tell Genji to drive faster as her thoughts catch up to her and she begins panicking again.

_What if I can’t bring Bars back? What will I tell McCree? What will Ashe do to me if she finds out?_

Countless scenarios and their worst consequences run through her mind during the ride.

“Please Bars,” she half whispers to him, half to herself.

Once they arrive at the Watchpoint, Elaina surrenders Bars over to Genji and they quickly move together through the compound to the medical wing.

Busting into the medical bay, Angela is assisting a worker who seemed to have sprained his wrist.

“Angela,” Genji commands. “ _Uchi ni oide_.”

Angela gives an apologetic look to the man, dismisses him, and rushes over. Genji places Bars’s body on an operating table. Elaina puts the loose arm on it as well.

“Oh dear,” Angela looks him over with speculation.

“Angela please,” Elaina moves forward and begs, taking one of Angela’s hands into her own.

“Elaina,” Angela looks up from the omnic to her. “What happened? Who is this poor man?”

“T-this is Bars,” Elaina begins. “I met him on my mission with Jesse at Route 66.”

“He’s the one whom your biotic energy worked on, yes?”

Elaina nods. 

Upon returning from her mission to Route 66, Elaina shared this information with Angela, who also found it fascinating. She had kept her word and asked Angela to share her medical knowledge on omnics, of which she seemed to have very little.

“Robotics is largely a mechanist’s or engineer’s job,” Angela had told her. “I helped develop Genji’s biotic parts with great assistance of our lead engineer, Torbjorn. He designed and created the mechanical parts, and I integrated them in with the human body.”

Elaina was very disappointed by this information, hating that she would be just as helpless in the next crisis she would face with an injured omnic as she had with Bars. Angela finished the conversation by offering Elaina some reference books, but not a lot has been written on omnics as it’s kind of taboo.

“As I had told you before Elaina,” Angela squeezes her hand back. “I am not versed in the workings of these poor people.”

Elaina’s eyes blur with tears. She’s so tired of crying. So tired of the uncertainty.

“C-can you tell me anything?” Elaina struggles to keep herself from yelling.

Angela rubs her arm and moves closer to Bars. She looks over his body again. After a few moments she stops next to the side of his head, looking inside. It really feels like an invasion of privacy and Elaina twitches at the sight.

Angela stands up. “I’m sorry, Elaina. He seems to be missing parts of the cerebral structure in his head.”

“Yeah,” Elaina sniffs and digs in her pockets, pulling out the assortment of things Genji suggested that they take. “We brought these.”

She dumps the pieces on the table next to Bars’s head.

Angela looks at them briefly. “I just don’t know Elaina, I’m sorry.”

Elaina turns around and paces, hands pulling her hair. “Fuck!”

She shakes, so emotionally charged.

Genji moves to her side and places a hand on her shoulder. This action does not calm her in the slightest and almost impulsively slaps his hand away.

“Angela,” Genji regards her. “Will you get Winston for me?”

Angela nods and runs from the room, clearly pleased to be free of responsibility.

Genji moves in front of Elaina and surrounds her with his arms, holding her close.

Elaina cries on his chest.

“I am so fucking useless. I haven’t done anything or saved anyone since I came back to this place. Such a poor excuse of a hero.”

“No Gakusei,” Genji hushes her, a hand on her head.

“And I am sorry for pushing you away,” she apologizes.

The hand petting her head freezes.

“If I had just accepted your apology and company, I wouldn’t have had to reach out to Bars.”

“Elaina,” he pulls her off of him. “I do not know anything about your relationship with Bars. I did not want to ask earlier as it seemed petty but…”

Elaina looks up at him. “No Genji, he’s…” He’s not what? Even she has been wondering what Bars is to her. Would a new friend travel across the planet to extremely hostile territory to be with her? Would a new friend condemn himself to brutal torture and death to save her?

“I can feel your uncertainty Gakusei.”

Elaina looks back at Bars. She tries to recall all of her interactions with him to deduce what she thinks Bars feels towards her. She hates that the thought crosses her mind but, to what extent can he feel?

“Genji…” Elaina sighs. “I don’t know Bars that well. I asked him to come help me sort through my feelings… Largely for you.”

This statement wasn’t even close to true. Originally Elaina had called upon Bars to comfort her after her brother’s death and to discover how far she could take their relationship. However, she had considered asking Bars’s opinion on her current state with Genji, thinking that with him also being at least part machine, that he might shed a new light on the conflict.

Thoughts of the closeness and intimacy that Bars had expressed towards her made her doubt whether or not to ask him for relationship advice. But now, it seems trivial.

“Elaina,” Genji protests. “You chose him over me for comfort when your brother died. And he accepted your sorrow. It hurts me to know that you are now choosing me over him when he’s on his deathbed.”

Fear of losing both Bars and Genji clash inside her. Her teeth grind together and she covers her face with her hands. 

_That’s not it at all. There was never a choice made. Everything was completely fogged by uncertainty._

Angela returns at that moment with Winston following her.

Genji moves away from Elaina to greet him.

Elaina tries to listen to what they’re saying but the panic and loneliness she feels is overwhelming and the words aren’t coherent to her. She walks back over to Bars’s body and grips the rough leather of his chaps tightly.

“What do I do, Bars?” she asks his lifeless body. “Please help me… It hurts so much.”

“Elaina?” Angela is at her side.

Elaina ignores her, numb to the word outside of her head.

“Honey, I’m going to put you to sleep.”

Elaina looks over at her. “What?”

Angela looks at her with a warm concerned face. “You have been in and out of shock for the past couple of hours. Your body and mind are taking heavy damage.”

“I-I don’t want…” she feels her pulse pick up again. “Please don’t. The nightmares…”

Angela rubs her shoulder, “The sleep will be dreamless, I promise. If you work yourself to exhaustion and end up fainting, that is when you will experience nightmares.”

“Angela,” Elaina whispers into her hand. “Genji… I can’t. He thinks me and Bars...”

Angela continues rubbing her arm. “I don’t think he’ll run off again.”

Genji and Winston join them at Bars’s table.

Angela turns to Genji, “Genji, will you watch over Elaina? I’m going to induce sleep.”

“I’d be happy to.” He nods, up to the task.

“Come with me,” Angela holds Elaina by the arm and brings her to a chair. She looks back at the table, Winston now inspecting Bars’s corpse.

Genji stands next to her while Angela retrieves the anaesthesia.

“I don’t want to burden you Sensei,” Elaina mumbles.

“Elaina.” Genji reaches up and removes his helmet. He ruffles his shiny hair and crouches next to her. “I will be by your side until you tell me to leave. _Wakarimashita_? You won’t be alone.” 

“Sensei?”

“ _Don’na_?”

“Will… will you kiss me?”

Elaina can see the conflict marring his face.

“I know it’s selfish to ask but I would like for it to be the last thing I think of before sleeping.”

Genji’s eyes clear, he moves into her, eyes half closed, but still hesitating. 

Elaina closes the gap and their lips touch. Despite kissing him before, this time it feels real, like what a first kiss should feel like. The skin of her lips is sensitive enough to feel the scar across the left side of his mouth and the feeling of his breath gives her goosebumps.

Angela returns with a syringe and prepares Elaina’s arm.

Darkness closes in on her, and she is unsure how long it plans to consume her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kyōaku-han: thug  
> Kekkō: Alright  
> Wakarimashita: Understand?  
> gomi: Trash  
> Shi no nioi ka? Yoshi! Itsu demo koi: The scent of death? Good! Come at me anytime.  
> máquina sucia: filthy machine  
> Matar a ese hijo de puta: Kill that bastard  
> Yoroshī: Alright  
> Uchi ni oide: Come to me  
> Don’na: what?


	18. Sweden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign text at end

Elaina wakes facing the ocean, a blanket around her shoulders. She shifts uncomfortably, her leg asleep, the chair they put her in is terribly uncomfortable.

“How are you feeling Gakusei?” the chair asks her. 

“Oh,” Elaina rubs her eyes. “I’m hungry, Sensei.”

He vibrates in a laugh. “Would you like a pear?”

“Yes please.”

He reaches over to the left of him where a basket of fruit rests. He selects the pear, throws it up, and cuts it in a fancy show of knife work.

“Show off,” Elaina mumbles, taking a slice from his hand. The sweet fruit is perfect, it melts in her mouth.

After finishing the pear, Genji speaks, “Elaina. We are leaving.”

“Hm?” She looks up at his mask. “Where are we going?”

“Sweden.”

She blinks confused.

“We have reached out to our former head of engineering, Torbjorn, to assist in Bars’s recovery.” 

“Wow, really?” Elaina is very grateful, but also very uncomfortable for making Overwatch use its resources for her selfish needs.

“Yes.” The salty air rushes by, Genji’s head scarf whipping in its force.

"I really do feel like I have only caused more harm than good for Overwatch," she confides.

"Let's work together on making it better," he encourages.

Later that day, Elaina, Genji, and Angela board one of the jets designed for active duty with Bars's lifeless body wrapped away in cargo. It is in fact the same vehicle that Elaina had taken with Lena to London. Similarly, Lena pilots the ship.

"Not that I'm upset," Elaina sits across the way from Angela. "But why are you coming with us?"

Angela smiles innocently at her. "The Lindholms are family to me. I was eager to accept the opportunity to see them again."

Elaina nods. "You knew them before Overwatch?"

"Mm-hm. Reinhardt too. We converged in the early days of the omnic crisis and coincidentally ended up working for the same organization."

Elaina feels even more of a stranger at this recountanance. A tickle on her hand brings Elaina's eyes to her lap. Genji, who sits next to her, intertwines his fingers in hers. 

"You are so welcoming to rejection," he comments.

Elaina rubs her neck nervously.

"Look at what you possess now and do not envy those who had it before you."

"I'm sorry Sensei, I just… wish I could have been there during the golden days. I don't think I could ever not envy you."

"Heh, I don't think you would have liked me back then."

"I could say the same of me."

"We are in agreement then." He pinches her cheek playfully.

The flight to Sweden, usually taking at least three hours, takes Lena only forty minutes and Elaina walks on wobbly legs from the jet in amazement.

In addition to the short flight, they were about to land only a few miles from where the Lindholms live.

"Thank you for taking us Lena," Elaina bows to her pilot.

"No problem love!" Lena salutes them and is back in the jet in a flash.

Angela leads the way with Elaina following. Genji brings up the rear with Bars thrown over his shoulder. They pass through a heavily wooded area, one Elaina definitely would have gotten lost in had Angela not been with them. 

Light shines through a break in the trees. Passing through that threshold, the three of them step out into a charming meadow. Wildflowers stir in the wind as well as the stray bits of Elaina’s hair. Her hand comes up to clear them from her smiling face.

“This place is beautiful,” she says, more to herself than the others.

“Yes,” Angela sighs in nostalgia. “Torbjorn likes his privacy.”

The clearing was slopped, at the top is a cute cottage style home, and at the far end is a very large barn. As if the barn isn’t big enough, various metal parts and materials lean against its wall outside.

Angela begins making her way through the grass up to the house. Looking back at Genji, who nods to her, Elaina follows.

Once closer to the house, Angela begins to pick up speed in anticipation.

“Torby!” she calls, throwing the door open.

Elaina chuckles at the endearing name.

The Lindholms’s house is everything Elaina wants her home to be like. Big plush furniture crowds the living room where a small fire burns in the chimney. Dark greens and browns make the place feel like an earth she belongs on and the smell of cooking food makes her salivate.

“ _Är det Angie_?” A woman comes from one of the neighboring rooms in a rush. “ _Jag har saknat dig_!”

“ _Jag har saknat dig också Ingrid_.” The two embrace tightly. Ingrid is an older woman, her hair is still a beautiful golden blonde though, not unlike Angela’s, and is braided beautifully. “Ingrid, this is Elaina and Genji. Agents from Overwatch.”

Elaina bows deeply, “Pardon the intrusion.”

“Oh darling,” Ingrid goes up to her and strangely pulls her into a hug too. “It is no trouble at all.”

Genji nods to Ingrid when they make eye contact but says nothing.

“What’s that you’ve brought?” she inquires at the very obvious body bag that Genji carries.

“A man,” Genji says. “In need of aid.”

Ingrid nods and turns to the back of the house. Angela has already ventured further in, probably in search of Torbjorn.

“He’s in the barn Angie!” Ingrid calls out.

Angela returns to the living room. “ _Var är barnen_?”

“Oh…” Ingrid looks down. “ _Farfar Anders inte mår bra. De ger honom sin ande._ _”_

“ _Det är tuffa tider_.”

“ _Ja._ But enough on that, we can speak later of it, Angie.” Ingrid motions back to the door they had come through.

Back outside, they follow her down the shallow hill to the barn.

“ _Älskling, vi har sällskap_ ,” Ingrid calls into the barn after opening the door.

“ _Kommer kära_ _!”_ A man calls from within.

Genji stops Elaina before she enters the barn. “Gakusei.”

“Hm?” Elaina turns back to him as Angela and Ingrid enter.

“I have a warning for you,” he says quietly, shifting the weight on his shoulder. “Torbjorn takes offense very easily.”

Elaina cocks an eyebrow.

“Your face is an open book, do your best to control your emotions,” he says more plainly.

Elaina pouts.

“ _Sono yō na_ ,” he chuckles, then moves into the barn.

It is hot inside the barn. With very little ventilation, all the machinery keeps the room at a toasty 77°F (25°C).

Torbjorn is a dwarf. Elaina waves her head in surprise, eyes staring tactlessly. He has blonde hair like his wife that he keeps tucked under a cap. His left arm is completely robotic, but instead of a hand at the end of it, there’s a huge claw, akin to a lobster. Genji pinches her cheek.

“Gakusei,” he warns.

“I’m sorry Sensei,” she whispers and covers her face with a hand.

“Yes, Brigette is out as well,” Torbjorn says, Elaina only now listening to the conversation. “Anyways, you brought me a project?”

Elaina still has her hand over her face, and a good thing too as she grimaces harshly at Torbjorn calling Bars a project.

“More of a rescue operation,” Angela inputs delicately.

“He-e-ey Genji,” Torbjorn acknowledges him. “Good to see ya lad. You look well.”  
“Arigatō,” Genji says politely. Torbjorn stands too close to him, carefully scrutinizing his body, and Genji shifts uncomfortably.

Elaina decides to just close her eyes completely. Every visible interaction is too much for her to bear and she swallows.

“And who’s this child?” Elaina peeks an eye open wearily.

“Ah…” she hesitates. “Elaina, sir.”

“Sir?!” The dwarf burst out laughing. “Don’t need to butter me up, but I’ll take it.” He grins at her.

Elaina can feel her face begin to move in reaction and swiftly covers it with her hand.

“What’sa matter with you?” he asks, leaning up close to her face.

“Torbjorn,” Angela gets his attention. “Me and Ingrid are going up for some cocoa, I’ll catch up with you later okay?”

Elaina takes this opportunity to scoot closer to Genji, practically hiding behind him.

“Ja, ja,” he looks back but Elaina is missing. “Eh?”

Catching her form at the edge of Genji, he stomps around him to confront her again. “Afraid of me claw are ya?”

Elaina wimpers.

“Forgive my student Torbjorn,” Genji speaks up. “She has a nervous disposition.”

“Student?!” Torbjorn stares Elaina down. “She doesn’t look like a ninja.”

A chuckle escapes Elaina, which she stiffles with a hand.

“She is a work in progress. I am sure you know what that’s like?” Genji asks.

“Ja, alright,” Torbjorn finally stops prestering Elaina to brush debris off a nearby work table. “Set ‘em here.”

Genji complies, lowering the body bag onto the table.

Torbjorn opens the body bag to reveal Bars’s broken body.

He grumbles. “Omnic defilement. I see you have retrieved his arm, that’s good.”

The man moves around the table to peek into his head, Elaina winces.

“You didn’t happen to find his brain too?”

Torbjorn looks at Genji who then looks at Elaina. She shrugs off the back pack and opens it, gathering the mechanical parts to present to Torbjorn.

He pushes the pieces around in speculation. “Good,” he barks, selecting one of the larger pieces. “Time to get my hands dirty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Är det angie: Is that Angie?  
> Jag har saknat dig: I have missed you  
> Jag har saknat dig också Ingrid: I've missed you too, Ingrid  
> Var är barnen: Where are the children?  
> Farfar Anders inte mår bra. De ger honom sin ande: Grandfather Anders is not doing well. They are giving him their spirit.  
> Det är tuffa tider: These are tough times  
> Ja: Yes  
> Älskling, vi har sällskap: Honey, we have company  
> Kommer kära: Coming dear  
> Sono yō na: Like that one


	19. Resurrection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEXUAL CONTENT WARNING
> 
> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign text at end

“Heh, hard work pays off! He’ll be rebooting in a minute here,” Torbjorn puts his tools away in his belt. “Now, I don’t know what kind of relationship you share with this man, and Gods I don’t want to. So I’m leaving.” He looks from Elaina to Genji, and back again. “ _Lycka till_!”

Elaina waits patiently over Bars’s now, not only repaired, but improved body, waiting for signs of life. Genji is some distance away while still being inside the barn.

Bars’s forehead now shows seven dots. The green and eerie blue-purple eyes start to light up. He suddenly sits up, hand coming to his head.

Elaina waits apprehensively. 

_Is he still the same? What kind of lasting damage will he receive after coming back from the dead?_

“Ugh…” Bars murmurs. He looks at the hand coming away from his head, then down at himself. “Why am I naked?”

A giggle escapes Elaina. He isn’t wrong, he is not clothed, but omnics don’t always wear clothes as they don’t have anything to hide. She looks about the room for his hood, vest, and chaps. They reveal themselves on one of Torbjorn’s workbenches across the room and she goes to retrieve them.

Elaina’s mind races through the possible things she should tell him first. Should she apologize? What does he remember?

Coming back up to the table, Bars seems to see her for the first time.

“Elaina,” he reaches for her. Assuming he wants the clothes, she holds them out to him. His hand bypasses the bundle and finds its way behind her neck, pulling her close, their foreheads touching.

This intimate interaction is pretty standard for them, but never had Elaina wanted to display it in front of Genji.

“I-it’s good to see you, friend,” Elaina stutters, still very uncertain of how to acknowledge him.

Bars allows them to part, only now grabbing his clothes.

“I feel…” Bars moves his head slowly from side to side. “Very different. Almost… _Peligroso_?”

Elaina raises her eyebrows at him. “Uh… The mechanic who brought you back said he released the limiter on your personality? I'm not sure what that means for you though.”

Bars looks over at her. “It means…” His fingers brush his head, feeling the new dots. “ _Siete_.”

He swings his legs over the table, causing Elaina to stumble backward, almost tripping. Bars’s hand whips out, securing her by the upper arm.

The unbelievable speed he exhibits almost frightens her. 

_Was he always that fast?_

Releasing her, he brings his right arm over to his left one, feeling it like it was a new appendage. Next he touches the mechanism of his chest thoughtfully.

“This has also changed,” he observes.

“Ah yes,” Elaina feels awkward telling Bars about himself and wishes Torbjorn had done so. He is kind of like Bars’s doctor after all. “Torbjorn also replaced the original metal on your body with a more durable alloy.”

“Who is this Torbjorn?”

“I’m sure you will meet him later, but he’s the mechanic who repaired you. Sort of an omnic specialist I suppose.”

Bars’s head snaps up to look at her. She couldn’t tell if the reaction was out of confusion or excitement. Her gaze darts away from him nervously, but it accidentally lands on Genji who is observing them silently. She whips her head back the other way very conspicuously.

Bars notices and looks over at Genji, then back at Elaina. 

Without comment, he grabs his pants and begins to put them on. Elaina turns around to give him some privacy.

“Bars,” Elaina says, hugging herself. “I am so sorry for almost killing you. I feel so stupid, not knowing anything about the…” She doesn’t really know how to acknowledge the racism in Europe, “state,” she decides, “that the town was in regarding your kind.”

“You? Stupid?” Bars protests. “I am the one who should have known. It is my race after all. I mean, I knew Europe was dangerous, _La Jefe_ had warned me, but…”

Elaina hears a zipper and turns back, hoping he’s finished and catches him pulling his hood up as she looks back at him. “Still. I feel so horribly responsible. If you had died, I-I…” She begins to shake as memories of his broken body on the table plague her.

Bars pulls her against him and holds her tight, his chin resting atop her head. 

_Is he more impulsive?_

Oh no, Elaina thinks to herself, wishing Genji wasn’t here to witness her weakness for Bars. She pushes against his chest asking for distance and he gives it to her.

“So how’d you do it?” Bars asks, still standing too close to Elaina. “I honestly believed I was _un hombre muerto_.”

“Well…” Elaina hadn’t prepared for this question as she probably should have. “I um… Asked for some help from one of my… From…” She curses silently. What does she identify Genji as in front of Bars? “My… Partner,” she chokes a little. “Actually he did all of the work. I just got in the way mostly.”

“Partner?” Bars inquires skeptically. “Like, one of the other agents?”

“Uh… Yeah he’s an Overwatch agent,” Elaina says. Her nervousness has reached her stomach and she puts a hand over it, like trying to calm a panicking dog. “He’s also my partner though.” Elaina refuses to look over at Genji.

“Is that so?” Bars considers this. “How long’s that been going on? Why wasn’t he there to help you when you were grieving for your brother?”

Bars apparently knows how to ask all the wrong, or right, depending on point of view, questions.

“W-we’ve been together… Uh…” Bars leans his head closer towards her, making her swallow again. “I am actually not sure.” Elaina winces, knowing how implausible she must sound. Why does she have to be so awkward? Genji’s well spoken words under pressure remind her how much she still has to learn from him.

“You don’t know because it’s been so long? Or…” Bars straightens and looks straight across the room at Genji. “I am thinking you are unsure whether or not you are actually partners.”

Elaina’s head snaps up, eyes wide, witnessing their silent interaction. She’s afraid to deny Bars’s accusation as she’s already pretty bad at lying.

Genji unfolds his arms and walks over. Elaina’s heart beats faster, if even possible, as she rushes in front of Bars, facing Genji.

“Bars,” Elaina motions to the approaching form. “This is Genji, he’s the one who helped me rescue you.” She tries her very best to be casual in the introduction but her shaking voice betrays her apprehension.

“ _Hajimemashite_ ,” Genji stops a few steps short of Elaina and gives a small bow.

Bars cocks his head at the Japanese. “Bars,” and he holds out a hand in greeting. Surprisingly, Genji takes it. Elaina has never seen Genji shake hands before, as he would usually ignore it. It sounds stupid but it’s the kind of thing her busy mind would notice.

Seeing the two next to each other, Elaina only now notices how outrageously tall Bars is. Standing at 6’5”, he clears Genji by almost an entire foot.

Their hands part and Bars speaks again, “I have never met a Japanese omnic before.”

Genji hesitates. “I am no omnic,” he declares after a moment.

“Hmmm…” Bars looks him up and down. “Your voice does seem authentic. But you are…” Bars pauses. “Not human.”

Elaina can see Genji’s hand tighten.

“A strange accusation coming from one such as yourself,” Genji responds.

“Ah,” Bars sighs. “I am sorry if you took offense, I meant none.”

The three stand awkwardly in the barn.

“Thank you for helping Elaina in my rescue,” Bars breaks the silence. The words seem polite, but something in his tone is off.

“You are welcome. And of course I was there for Elaina.”

Bars cocks his head slightly.

 _Please. Please don’t bring up my brother,_ Elaina thinks to herself, her eyes squeeze shut as if anticipating an attack.

Bars looks around the barn. “Where are we, Elaina? This place makes me nervous.”

“We’re in Sweden, at a former agent’s residence,” Elaina tells him, relieved. "Torbjorn's if you remember."

“ _Todavía en Europa, ¿eh?_ ” Bars says, leaning back against the table. “ _¿Voy a ser seguro de nuevo?_ Wanna show me around?” He touches Elaina lightly on the arm, completely ignoring Genji's presence.

 _Spanish?_ Elaina thinks to herself.

“Uh…” Elaina’s eyes move between Bars and Genji. “O-Okay?”

Genji nods to her, turns, and strides from the room, as if being dismissed. Elaina wants to stop him but wouldn’t know what to say, so instead, she watches him go sadly.

After he’s gone, Elaina turns on Bars, “Bars! What are you trying to do?”

He laughs. “Nothing I wasn’t trying to do before you almost got me killed.” His hands rest on the edge of his belt as he slouches into a cocky standing position.

“But! Ugh!” Elaina throws her hands up and turns away from him, frustrated.

Bars grabs one of her hands and spins her around to face him, pulling her into him. “Why have you chosen to commit yourself to one who will not offer you the same?”

He has his forehead against hers again.

“B-Bars,” Elaina stutters, heartbeat loud in her ears.

He moves his head to the side of hers and nuzzles into her neck.

“Ah!” Elaina struggles to free herself from him. “Why are you so ballsy now?!”

“It’s freeing,” his voice vibrates against her neck. “I no longer feel so compelled to please these humans. It’s almost like…” He considers the feeling. “Like I have been granted free will.”

Elaina sighs, pushing against his chest. “That’s nice, except, you are taking advantage of me.”

“Hmph.” Bars lets go of her and she scrambles away.

Elaina, now breathing heavily, glares at him. “I just told you I was with Genji. Do you not respect me and my decisions?”

Bars taps his boot foot a couple of times. “I don’t respect him, for not respecting you.”

“He does too respect me! And he saved your life!” Elaina argues.

“You saved my life,” he insists.

“No! I commited you to death by asking you to come here and he is your savior!” She yells at him, pointing towards the doorway Genji had exited through. “If anything you should be snuggling in his neck!”

Bars crosses his arms and taps his foot again. “Human males don’t peak my interest like females do. Especially one’s so… stiff.”

“Wait,” Elaina’s mind gets a little side tracked. “Really? Why?”

“I identify as male, despite being a machine,” Bars replies acidly. “And although that doesn’t necessarily mean I will like women, in this scenario it does.”

“Why…” Elaina is very curious, but also doesn’t want to be disrespectful. He’s already being pushy so she decides to ask anyways, “Why do you like humans at all? From what you have told me, they all treat you like trash.”

“Until now it didn’t seem like a choice.”

“What?”

“We omnics are suppressed on purpose. I am programmed to not act against humans unless instructed to do so. But now... Now I can see myself enjoying cracking some skulls I think.”

Dangerous is right. Elaina recoils from him slightly. “Okay, but you act as though you are attracted to me as a human. But… To what end?”

Bars huffs a laugh. “Are you asking if I wish intimacy from you? Because the answer is most definitely yes. I thought that was obvious.”

“But…” Elaina recoils nervously. Bars is completely unpredictable now. “What does that mean to you?”

“ _Chica_ ,” he regards her, seeming to lose patience a little. “Sex isn’t all about the individual, it’s a partnership. No I cannot participate in intercourse, as I do not possess reproductive organs, but I want to experience you.” He takes a step near her, provoking her to back up a few more. “All of you.”

Elaina can’t take anymore, and turns to run from the room. 

_God help me_ , she thinks, _please don’t let him stop me._

She’s never been a religious person, and God ignores her plea as Bars grabs her around the waist before she can escape.

“Please Bars,” Elaina begs. “Please let me go.” She looks back at him and covers her mouth with a hand. “I c-can’t handle you right now.”

“ _Por qué no_?” Bars whispers in her ear. “We were having a mature conversation. What’s wrong with that?”

“Words a-are fine,” she chokes out. “But your h-hands…” The hands in question were fondling her stomach and thigh. The right hand creeps dangerously inside her leg.

“Tell me to stop,” he commands her.

Elaina stares wide-eyed at him. Her mind screams at her to comply, to push him off, but she can’t. She doesn’t want to betray Genji’s trust but this tension with Bars is undeniable. After begging for so long for some kind of intimacy from Genji, and now Bars commits to it immediately, without her even asking.

Bars takes his hand from her stomach and pulls her hand away from her mouth. Still she says nothing.

“No?” he asks her. “Then _venir a mí, mí dulce ángel_.” He pushes her hip to the side, turning her towards him.

Burying his face in her neck again, he grabs her butt full on in his huge hands. Elaina gives a squeak, her arms still up against her, unsure if she wants to commit.

The hands leave her backside and slide up her hips to the edge of her shirt, pushing it up.

“I’m listening, _mí_ _angel_ ,” he reminds her. His hands continue to travel up, pushing her shirt now to the edges of her bra. “Say something, you’re shaking.”

“I-I…” Elaina stutters. “B-Bars, I don’t know…”

“What don’t you know?” His hands go under her shirt now, cold fingers slipping under her bra straps and letting them slide down her shoulders. “ _Dioses, que son tan cálido_.”

“If I should…” she answers breathlessly, looking away from him, sure he's not even listening.

He nudges against her jaw affectionately, pushing her face back to look at him. “Should what, _mí_ _amore_?” His strangely synthetic yet emotional voice travels across her skin, giving her goosebumps.

One hand has left her shirt and reaches under her butt between her legs. The other pushes her shirt above her breasts and he wraps the hand around her neck.

“Bars…” she moans accidently, her hands now grip the collar of his vest tightly. “H-how do you know… How to…?”

Bars laughs against her. “I got lessons before coming.”

Elaina pushes against him, disengaging to look him in the eye. She takes a couple steps back. “What?”

Hands now to himself, he holds his sides in a bark of laughter.

“What’s so funny?” She corrects her shirt and runs her hand through her hair nervously, appreciating the break from him.

“Is that jealousy I read in your eyes?” He chuckles again.

Elaina looks away from him. Is it jealousy? She scrunches her face in a pout, afraid to answer.

Bars comes to her again, hand around her waist. He rubs her pouty lip with his free hand and she smacks it away, not looking at him.

“ _Vaya_ _!_ Your reaction is so pleasing to witness,” he has his hand against his chest earnestly. “If you must know, I learned from Señor McCree.”

Elaina’s head snaps back to look at him, her mouth agape.

“I’m sorry, is that not better than a _putana_?” he asks confused.

“Putana?” she clarifies, already knowing the answer. "Also what's with the Spanish?"

"I am from Mexico, _mí_ _angel_ ," Bars says. “It’s my native language.”

“But… Nevermind. Anyways, now that you aren’t manipulating me with your stolen skills, I am leaving.”

She pushes and wiggles against his chest, trying to free herself.

“Ah, _no te dejaré ir_.” He holds onto her tighter, now including his other arm to assist in her jailing.

“Bars,” Elaina looks him straight in the face. “I am now saying no.”

Bars sighes, slumping, and his arms fall away from her. 

Elaina takes one last look at him before exiting the barn. He leans up against the table he woke on, arms crossed and tapping his foot again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lycka till: Good luck  
> Peligroso: Dangerous  
> Siete: Seven  
> un hombre muerto: a dead man  
> Hajimemashite: Nice to meet you  
> Todavía en Europa, ¿eh?: Still in Europe, huh?  
> ¿Voy a ser seguro de nuevo?: Will I ever be safe again?  
> Chica: Girl  
> Por qué no: why not?  
> Dioses, que son tan cálido: Gods, you are so warm  
> Vaya: Wow  
> putana: whore  
> no te dejaré ir: I will not let you go


	20. Peleemos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Now leaving the barn, Elaina raises her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. It’s nice to be back outside. The smell of hot metal and oil inside the barn only contributed to the queasiness Bars was making her stomach feel. 

Elaina looks back over her shoulder at the barn. She wishes she didn’t have to feel responsible for Bars here but he doesn’t know anyone else. Refusing to reenter the barn, Elaina stands contemplatively, trying to sort through her feelings.

A figure lands in front of her, making her jump and give a small scream.

“How are you feeling Gakusei?” Genji asks, rising from landing.

“S-Sensei,” Elaina’s eyes dart back and forth. “Wait. Where did you…?” She looks up and around. There aren’t any trees or other buildings near the barn. If he jumped down from anywhere it would be…

“Genji!” Elaina bursts out in realization. “You were spying on us?!”

Genji chuckles, clearly proud of himself. “I am a ninja Elaina.”

“B-but…” her mind struggles to piece together what this means. Her mind flashes back to Bars’s hands all over her body. “Then you saw…”

He holds up a hand shushing her. “You think I am afraid of a little competition?”

Elaina is speechless.

“ _Jaku niku kyō shoku_ ,” Genji says passionately. “You have given me an opportunity to accurately judge my adversary.”

Elaina shifts uncomfortably. Genji’s relaxed manor about her interactions with Bars upsets her more than it puts her at ease. Does he feel no sense of ownership over her? Maybe she should just take a break from both of them, all they do is give her anxiety and heart palpitations anyways.

“That being said,” Genji continues. He walks up in front of her and removes the lower half of his mask. His wise golden eyes reflect the sun and he breaks into a wide toothy smile. “I am flattered you consider me your partner.”

Genji takes his left hand and places it on her cheek, pulling her towards him. He kisses her tenderly.

Elaina is not even close to being accustomed to Genji's sudden willingness for affection. His lips act as a defibrillator, jump starting her heart every time.

“Genji?” she asks timidly after he parts from her.

“Yes, what is it Gakusei?”

“If you want to be competitive…” she hesitates and Genji raises his eyebrows in suspense. “I think you should have sex with me.”

Genji isn’t wearing his mask, a perfect opportunity to accurately judge his reactions. Surprise is first, then apprehension, and finally dissent.

“No, Elaina,” he replies calmly.

Elaina rolls her eyes and looks off to his side, arms crossing. Maybe she should have stayed in that barn.

“Do not misunderstand,” Genji grabs her chin bringing her gaze back to him. “I want very much to claim you as my own.”

“Then why won’t you?” She stomps her foot, childishly. “I mean I know you used to do that kind of thing, when you were younger.”

Genji laughs at her and hugs her closer to him. “I told you not to judge my past self, Gakusei.”

“I would kill for a footloose Genji. I can almost see it,” she closes her eyes to formulate the fantasy. “Wait, what about when you came to me in the night, after my brother died?” She leans back from his chest to look at him again.

“A-ah… _Hai_ ,” Genji breaks their eye contact. “It was a point of weakness for me. Very mature of you for not submitting.”

“I knew it was a trick!” Elaina leans back further.

“It was no trick,” Genji narrows his eyes at her.

“So if I had taken you into my room and had my way with you, you wouldn’t have regretted it?” Elaina makes a know-it-all face.

“Ha! Depends how good you are in bed, my _nureta koneko_ ,” Genji whispers to her.

A shiver passes over her.

“I’m kidding Gakusei, I respect you too much to sleep with you casually,” Genji finishes. His expression is so earnest it hurts when her filthy mind silently begs him to reconsider.

“Sensei,” Elaina speaks forwardly, disentangling herself from his grip. “You said you got a window into your adversary.” Genji nods at this. “Then let me give you some insight on the one you lot are fighting for.”

She moves a couple of steps away from him and points at her own chest. “I am not a stranger to the pleasures of the flesh, and Genji…” She shakes her head and takes a deep breath. “I have been waiting so long for something from you.”

Her finger moves from her chest to pointing at the barn. “That man, will play dirty. No honor, no waiting till marriage or what have you. He will persuade me to be with him with his smooth words and hungry hands.”

Genji straightens, listening to her intently. “You are saying he will take advantage of you?”

Elaina considers this. _Will Bars take advantage of my starvation for physical contact? Yes. Will he use his superior size and strength to subdue me to his will? No._ Elaina shakes her head.

“He will accurately assess what I need and give it to me.”

“I…” Genji looks down, disappointed. “Have not been doing that, have I?”

“No,” Elaina says firmly. “As you may have noticed, I am having a very difficult time not wavering towards him because of this. I can only be selfless for so long.”

A laugh comes from behind her and she turns. Bars stands in the doorway of the barn.

“God!” Elaina yells, throwing her hands in the air. “Does anyone around here know the meaning of privacy?”

“I don’t think you do either, _mí_ _angel_ ,” Bars comments. “You are speaking very loudly, outside, in a common space.”

A small hiss turns Elaina back towards Genji, but not before she scowls down at Bars. The lower half of Genji's mask returns to hiding his face.

“Bars,” Genji walks past Elaina casually towards the barn. _“Iza jinjō ni shōbu_ _!”_

Elaina stares down at them, speechless.

“I have no weapon, _señor_ ,” Bars tells him.

“Wait!” Elaina follows Genji down to the barn. Usually Genji’s Japanese statements are to no consequence, as she assumes it’s just him thinking out loud. Does Bars speak Japanese? “What are you doing Genji?”

“I asked him to spar Gakusei,” Genji says.

“Can you speak Japanese?” she turns toward Bars, interested.

Bars laughs again, leaning against the door jam. “I am capable of understanding most languages.”

“Wow,” Elaina stares at him in awe. “So you could speak Japanese too?”

“ _Mochiron_ ,” Bars slurs. _“Kore wa anata o on nandesuka_ _?”_

Elaina melts at the speech, starring doe eyed at Bars.

He takes this opportunity to move up to her and takes her hand. _“Watashi no tame ni anata no ashi o hiroge, mí querida_ ,” Bars leans into her ear, mixing Japanese and Spanish.

“Oi!” Genji yells. “Keep that filth in your mouth.”

Elaina leans back, looking at Bars. “What did he say?”

Genji grumbles, clearly not willing to repeat Bars’s statement himself.

“I merely complimented your eyes,” Bars says.

“A liar too? He told you to part your legs for him,” Genji tells her.

Elaina snatches her hand back. “I think I’d like to spar with you too, _tonto_.” She mocks him in the small amount of Spanish she has picked up from living in Spain.

Elaina is sure that he’d be grinning at her if he could.

"What say you?" Genji provokes Bars again.

"Why should I fight you? I am not confident that I can best you," Bars crosses his arms, clearly not interested in Genji. “I will look like an _idiota_.”

"You are not fighting for you, you are fighting for Elaina. Use those hands that you defiled my woman with to fight fairly with me."

"Your woman?" Both Bars and Elaina say.

"She told you so, did she not?"

Elaina blushes, looking away.

Bars grumbles, not denying it but still does not consent to the sparring match.

"Let me teach you how to defend a woman in a sketchy city at night," Genji teases harshly.

 _"Jódete niño_ _,"_ Bars curses, now towering over Genji.

“Elaina,” Genji leans over to her, whispering in her ear. “Bet on me to win this fight, the _akutō_ has no weapons.” 

“Sensei! I thought you were honorable,” Elaina accusses.

“It was a joke, Gakusei.” Elaina can hear him roll his eyes in his words. He reaches around behind him, removing the Ōdachi and wakizashi from his back. “Take care of these for me, _pātonā_?” He holds them out to her.

Elaina’s eyes widen in amazement. She takes the blades in her arms delicately. Finally being able to look at Genji’s weapons closer, she takes in every detail. 

Although the blades are sheathed, she can see that both are beautifully made and maintained. They’re accented with the same green that Genji wears upon himself. She can’t read the Japanese characters engraved on the scabbard but they shine brightly in the light. Lastly, she pulls out the Ōdachi slightly, remembering its green color. The blade reveals to her that the deadly edge is in fact not green, but does reflect Genji’s iconic color when it hits the light just right.

In her distraction with the blades, Elaina had not noticed Bars and Genji leaving her presence. She looks up to the two of them in the nearby field, hands raised in fisticuffs.

 _They mean to fight in hand to hand combat?!_ Elaina’s mind screams. _So soon after Bars has been repaired too_.

Elaina kind of doesn’t want to witness the fight. She has seen Genji in action and is hyper-confident that he is unstoppable. However, she also knows that Genji has acted as a Sensei to her and doesn’t believe he would try to make a fool out of Bars.

Bars stands defensively facing Genji, his large metal hands curled into fists in front of his face.

Genji stands about ten feet in front of him. “Hajime!” Waving Bars on to attack.

He really must have rubbed Bars the wrong way, Elaina couldn’t imagine him fighting needlessly. He’s so different than before, Elaina thinks to herself, watching Bars move carefully up to Genji. She clutches the blades closer to her chest in anticipation.

Once within striking range of Genji, Bars hesitates. His adversary gives the slightest of nods and Bars’s fist shoots out at Genji.

Genji directs the hand to the side in deflection, leaning away. Bars steps into him and brings his elbow back at Genji’s head.

Genji laughs, ducks, and slithers away behind Bars. He dances on his feet, waiting for Bars to turn.

But Bars doesn’t turn. Instead, he lifts his hand to his chin in thought. Elaina stares, impatient for the next move.

Bars pushes his hood back with the hand previously on his chin, and looks around the environment extensively. He’s an irregular looking omnic by far. Many of his machine brothers sport smooth round heads with little adornment. Bars has the iconic lit dots, previously four, now seven, on his forehead with an almost ovular head, and where most would have two eyes, he has three. One standard large green light for his right eye and two staggered blue-purple eyes on the left. Elaina can see the nasty welding scar left from reinsterting his brain and shudders. 

Genji cocks his head. _“Sono teido ka_ _?”_

Bars doesn’t respond but does lift his fists up again. He circles around to Genji’s right side. Bad decision, Elaina observes, that’s his robotic side which is much faster and stronger than his left. A tingle in her left arm supports this silent critic.

Bars move on Genji again, but this time he executes short fast jabs that don’t reach past his opponent. Genji only has to hop back a step or two to avoid the assault.

The two of them move over the ridge of the hill, out of Elaina’s sight. She resituates the blades and jogs up the hill to bring them into view again. They’re bordering the wooded area surrounding Torbjorn’s glave.

 _Is Bars trying to push Genji into the trees? Also a bad idea,_ Elaina reflects. _Genji has superior vertical movement, and would benefit from such an environment._

Getting closer to the trees, they are now in shadow and Genji’s body’s lights glow brilliantly.

Suddenly, Bars’s hand shoots out, open palmed towards Genji’s neck. Genji jumps back again but runs into a tree. The tree rattles in the impact.

“Got you, _cabron_ ,” Bars holds Genji by the neck up against the tree, pushing his body against Genji's to prevent escape.

Genji grips the wrist at his neck with his right hand. 

_“Tatakai wa owaran_ _,”_ Genji chokes out. 

A test of strength, Elaina thinks to herself. Although Genji is undoubtedly more experienced in fighting than Bars, she is not sure who's actually stronger physically.

Genji slips his leg out and wraps it around Bars’s, pulling it further towards him and disrupting the balance of the hold.

In a quick motion, he pushes on the arm restraining him, and the both of them tumble to the ground. He rolls further than Bars, in an attempt to escape and almost clears the distance needed to be out of reach when Bars snags the fabric attached to his helmet.

Bars ruthlessly yanks Genji back, basically by the head, slamming him back onto the ground. His body twists back up into a crouching position. He pulls at the scarf, trying to free it.

“A dirty trick,” Genji says.

Bars chuckles unapologetically.

Seeing that he won’t get free, Genji brings his hands to the back of his head, releasing the mechanism holding the helmet on, then pulls his head free. A graceful backflip, and he stands erect, facing Bars for the first time as a human man.

Bars stares up at him, still laying on the ground. 

“You cheated,” Bars accuses him.

“If I grabbed your hood, would you not remove the entire garment?”

“Nah, _puto_ , I’d beat your ass til you let go,” Bars stands, looks at the helmet hanging in his hand, then carelessly tosses it aside.

 _“Jūnin toiro_ _,”_ Genji shrugs.

Elaina chases after the helmet as it bounces and rolls down the hill near the trees. She catches up to it as it stops. Gently laying the blades in the grass, she lifts the helmet and inspects it. Such a productive day for her curious mind, she thinks with a wide smile.

The helmet is broken into two parts, but she knew this. Most of it consists of the part that actually rests on Genji’s head. The second part is the front lower half of the face that he is able to remove at will. Looking inside she can’t see much, actually, she can’t see anything. Curious, she puts the helmet on her own head. 

Nothing. Complete darkness.

The only thing she does discover in it is a pleasant, earthy smell. She inhales deeply. Genji. It must be his natural scent. A faint minty smell also presents itself. Tea or toothpaste?

Elaina removes the helmet, turning it in her hands. She fingers the fabric that sprouts from the back of it. Very silky soft with a pattern almost like waves. Honestly, she’s surprised that Bars could get a good hold on it. It naturally slides off her hand when held.

“Pretty sure you’ve taught me nothing, actually,” Bars’s voice sounds behind her. 

“You are a poor student if you have learned nothing from this,” Genji chastises. “You could have at least discovered my superiority to you.”

“You didn’t strike me once, _pendejo_. I could outlast you in a brawl anyday.”

Elaina gathers the blades again, then isn’t sure how to bring the helmet too. She crouches, shifts the blades, then picks up the helmet with her left hand. The blades slide down lower when she stands, threatening to pull from their sheaths once the tsuba hits her arm. She crouches again, stopping their movement.

“Can we cease this please?” she calls out to them, still struggling. “I honestly don’t want either of you to win. Or lose for that matter.”

The grass squeaks as Genji makes his way to her side.

 _“Arigatō aishi no kimiyo_ _,”_ he takes the blades from her, returning them to their home on his back. 

“Sensei,” Elaina holds up the helmet. “How does this work?”

He laughs at her, smile pulling at the scars on his face. “I don’t think I am able to show you, it's powered by my body.”

“What does it look like inside?”

“It looks just like when I have my helmet off.”

“Really?!”

“Yes.” He takes the helmet from her. “Give me a victory kiss, _Koibito_.”

He gives her a sloppy smooch on the cheek and she giggles.

“Ey!” Bars calls out. “At least I waited till you left the room. Where’s your honor chico?”

Elaina regards Genji seriously. “He’s right you know.”

Genji rolls his eyes and puts the helmet back on. “Partner? Remember? Gives me free range.”

Elaina turns away from him, smiling to herself. “Haven’t claimed me yet.”

Genji crosses his arms, “Hmph!”

“I am actually quite impressed with you Bars,” Elaina now walks up to him. “I didn’t think you’d be able to keep up with my Sensei.” 

_“Gracias, mí angel,”_ Bars gives a little bow.

“Want to meet some of my friends?”

The three of them move up towards the house on the top of the shallow hill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peleemos: Let's fight  
> Iza jinjō ni shōbu: Let's fight fairly  
> Mochiron: Of course  
> Kore wa anata o on nandesuka: Is this what turns you on?  
> tonto: asshole  
> Jódete niño: fuck you boy  
> akutō: scoundrel  
> pātonā: partner  
> Hajime: come on  
> Sono teido ka: Is that all?  
> cabron: fucker  
> Tatakai wa owaran: The battle is not over  
> puto: bitch  
> Jūnin toiro: Ten men, ten colors (an idiom)  
> Arigatō aishi no kimiyo: thank you, my darling  
> Koibito: lover


	21. A Good Snuggle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Elaina reaches for the back door handle. Should she knock?

She turns the knob, entering the room, without announcement.

Inside, Angela sits on the large brown sofa in the living room. Her and Torbjorn seem to be speaking casually of Torbjorn’s daughter’s most recent antics.

“Sorry if we’re interrupting,” Elaina says. Bars follows her into the house, ducking through the doorway, followed by Genji.

Wood crackles in the fireplace and baking sweets makes Elaina's mouth drool. 

“Ah Elaina! I see your friend has made a nice recovery,” Angela smiles up at them. Genji moves to the couch and sits by her.

“Yes! I cannot thank you enough Torbjorn,” Elaina turns toward the small man in the adjacent arm chair. He has a plate of cookies on his lap, many of which seem to be ending up in pieces in his beard.

“It was too easy,” Torbjorn wipes his mouth. “And you,” he points to Bars, “come over here.”

Bars strides over and kneels in front of him.

“You better be careful. I have rewritten the algorithm that dictates your line of thought to give you more freedom.”

“We noticed,” Elaina says.

Genji leans over to Angela. “First omnic I don't care for.”

“But with this freedom comes great risk,” Torbjorn explains, Bars quietly listens. “I have granted you more humanity,” Torbjorn’s finger jabs at his own forehead, “and humans are stupid. Constantly engaging in fights they could have easily avoided.”

“Yeah he’s already done that,” Elaina says.

“You have somehow developed a very dangerous personality,” Torbjorn continues, ignoring Elaina. “Use it to defend yourself, not harbor attention.”

“I will, _gracias mí padre_.” Bars bows his head in front of Torbjorn, humbling himself.

Torbjorn places a hand on Bars’s hooded head.

The unspoken connection between Bars and Torbjorn is beguiling. Bars clearly respects Torbjorn more than anyone Elaina has ever seen. Even his attitude towards Ashe, who is presumably his boss, does not receive this type of reverence.

"He seems polite enough to me," Angela turns toward Genji.

Bars stands after wordlessly dismissed by Torbjorn. He returns to Elaina's side. "I believe you promised a private tour?"

Bars has grabbed one of her hands, pulling her against him.

Genji stiffens on the sofa, leather creaking.

"Oh…" Anelga sighs. "I see. I am actually quite amazed, he is very eccentric!"

Genji scoffs. "More like disrespectful."

Elaina pushes off of him. "I did no such thing. I said I would show you around and I have! House, meadow, barn."

Genji chuckles.

"Plus I'm sleepy," Elaina frees herself from Bars and goes to Genji, sitting in his lap.

"Bars," Angela regards him, standing. "My name is Angela Ziegler."

"Good day, my lady," Bars gives a small bow.

"Would you indulge me in a conversation about yourself? And your people?" Angela moves up to him, looking up expectantly.

"Uh…" Bars looks from her to Elaina. "I suppose I have nothing else going on."

"Fantastic! Torbjorn? Come with us!" Angela grabs Bars's arm and leads him to the hall.

The sight of another woman, and especially Angela whom she has had to compete with before, on Bars's arm irks Elaina.

The three of them exit the room, leaving Elaina and Genji alone.

"She is your absolute wingman, Sensei," Elaina observes.

Genji sighs. "I don't think I could ever convince her to not feel responsible for me."

Genji moves the two of them further back on the couch.

His hand comes up to the side of her face to play with a few stray hairs.

"Genji?"

_"E e_ _?"_

"Remember when I came to you weeks after we returned from Nihon?" Elaina swallows. "And you asked me what brought me back to you?"

He nods.

"What has changed in you? You used to reject me so adamantly…" Elaina wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer, and was even more unsure that he would share it with her.

Genji looks away, seemingly gathering his thoughts. "In our time apart, I returned to the monastery."

He doesn't immediately continue. Elaina tries to remember the belief system that the Shambali teach. The core concept is the idea that omnics exhibit sentience and therefore possess souls. Omnics possessing souls, beliefs and dreams has become a very clear truth to Elaina. Bars has shown her more than enough proof that he bears an incredibly unique sense of self. But what do these teachings have to do with Genji? Does Genji identify as a machine and believes he had lost his soul? He had denied the identity of omnic to Bars when accused of it so she wasn't really sure. 

"What do they teach there?" Elaina asks to see if Genji has different answers than she.

"Many things."

"Okay, what do you specifically learn from them?"

Genji fidgets with the fabric of her sleeve. "The omnic people have been suppressed. Often violently. Upon achieving free will and independence, some did not retaliate with hostility as Null Sector has. These omnics believed that by uniting together, even helping these people who have wronged them, they could prove to the world that they possess souls."

Elaina listens intently to his explanation, waiting for it to be relevant to him.

"They teach peace. Togetherness." Genji chuckles. "My master frowned deeply at me for rejecting you when I clearly needed and desired your company."

Elaina snuggles more against him. His usually cold hard body had taken her heat and now feels warm against her cheek. 

She loves hearing Genji talk about himself. If only she could understand Japanese, she would listen to this bedtime story in his native language.

"How foolish I have been," he admits to her. "I have been practicing self acceptance for years and when you accepted me so naturally, I was… honestly jealous. Confused. Eager to find out how you had achieved it so easily. Then angry when I could not."

Genji reaches up, removing the cover on his face. A rough scarred cheek rubs against her forehead.

"Please forgive my ignorance."

Elaina smiles happily to herself, finally able to believe they can be together.

"Sensei?"

"What is it, Gakusei?"

"Will you sing to me?"

"Sing?" He sounds very confused.

"I was thinking about how much I love to hear you speak Japanese but… I don't understand most of it. Will you sing me a Japanese lullaby?"

Genji chuckles. "Why do you care so strongly for my native language?"

"It just… I don't know, I like the color green now more too."

He laughs again. "Very well, I will try."

_"Nennen korori yo, Okorori yo._

_Bōya wa yoi ko da, Nennen shina~_

_Bōya no omori wa, Doko e itta?_

_Ano yama koete, Sato e itta._

_Sato no miya-gē ni, Nani morōta_

_Denden taiko ni, Shō no fue."_

It’s now completely dark in the room save the lamp next to the couch and the dying embers in the fireplace.

Elaina has fallen asleep in Genji's lap. He has learned how to contour his body so that she fits nicely on top of him. The sound of her steady breathing is also making him sleepy.

A shadow moves in the hall. Genji looks up through his mask to see Bars leaning in the doorway.

"I'd be killing you if I believed it would let me hold her like that," Bars says threateningly.

"Good to know you're still conscious enough to not kill recklessly," Genji replies, hugging Elaina closer. He sits on edge, his body slowly tensing to parry an oncoming attack. Despite Bars claiming to not be immediately hostile, the open admittance of his desire for murder for his own gain, sends adrenaline through Genji’s veins.

The fireplace pops again. Bars moves from the doorway to the chair Torbjorn had occupied earlier and sits, seemingly in deep thought.

"How you plan to get her to stay with you?"

"Hm?" Genji looks over at him, relaxing slightly at the continued conversation, but confused by the question.

Bars being omnic, does not portray emotions easily, therefore Genji has trouble grasping the meaning behind his question.

"After things settle down. I mean, have you noticed her attraction to despair?" Bars clarifies.

Genji looks down at Elaina, uncomfortable gossiping about her while she sleeps.

_Despair?_

"Isn't it natural to be more concerned about someone when they are in need?"

"Perhaps." He leans on a hand, elbow on the chair's arm. “But she looks for it. I think she's afraid of living normally. Her hyperactive mind couldn't handle the tranquility."

“What do you know of a mind plagued by darkness? Or even how to mend it?”

“Darkness?” Bars leans forward inquisitively.

After a few moments of silence, the air in the room seems to thicken.

"I am just thinking out loud. You may know her better than me, thought I might feed off your insight."

Genji has absolutely no intention of sharing his knowledge of Elaina or her weakness to this man. The insight that Bars’s has shared with him is frighteningly accurate though.

"I can't say I was once like her, but… I sought chaos and conflict too, years ago. I have considered asking her to join me at the monastery."

"Monastery?"

"Yes, I have studied under the Shambali for the past five years. Their teachings may calm her anxieties about the world, as it has done for me.”

"Not so sure she'd fit in there, _hermano_."

Genji scowls, and finds satisfaction at his own emotions being masked as Bars’s are. "A strange thing to say, when she clearly loves you, an omnic."

"Love?" Bars perks up, sitting straighter. "I mean…" he redirects his line if thought again with a shake of his head. "I don't believe she would disagree with their teachings, I just know she don't seem to like to sit still."

Genji huffs a laugh. "You could probably use some time there as well. Tame the havoc that seems to determine your foolish choices.”

Although Genji does believe Bars could benefit from the influence of the Shambali, he also fears that Bars is more akin to the Null Sector omnics.

"Nah, I can't feel better about myself by doing nothing."

"They do not do nothing,” he hisses.

Bars shrugs and leans back into the chair again. 

After some time, Bars speaks again. "I have a hard time believing you think she loves me. If you did, you would not try and keep her from me.”

Genji has tried desperately to think of Elaina objectively to make clearer decisions. As a Shambali monk, he can see she exhibits the essence of human omnic acceptance that his people teach. The two of them together, with Bars's eccentricity and Elaina's selflessness, could seriously change the public's image of the omnic people.

But as an egotistical man, the only good her attachment to Bars has granted is a casting aside of the fear that she would reject his own mechanical parts.

"I am not entirely selfless. If anything, her love for you should motivate me to pull her further away. It’s what you are attempting to do with me, _migi_?”

Bars hums sinisterly at Genji’s thorough conjecture.

"My past self would have killed you already," Genji admits.

" _Va a ser su propia ruina_ ," Bars thinks out loud.

Genji shifts Elaina in his lap again.

"I will return to America I think," Bars announces.

"Giving up so easily? _Dono yō ni kōun watashi no tame ni_.” 

_Foolish,_ Genji thinks. _Leave now and she won’t waiver so quickly to your side next time we meet. Once she has become truly mine._

"I'm tired of her comparing me to you," Bars grumbles. "Not that I believe you are superior, but interacting with her from afar, isolated from you, sounds more productive than constantly facing you head on.”

"Think I'll trip over my own feet do you?" Genji asks.

 _"Sì, yo hago_ _._ Maybe she even come with me if I ask. _"_

Genji cradles Elaina in his arms, then stands from the couch. He walks up to Bars, who stares up at him curiously.

Genji lowers Elaina down onto him. She moves in her sleep, hand grabbing at Bars's vest. Unsure how to be, Bars holds her as best he can, then looks back at Genji.

"What are you trying at, _pendejo_?"

“Time to put you in your place,” Genji threatens.

“ _¿Qué carajo significa eso_ _?_ ” Bars looks down at Elaina like she’s a live bomb, then back up at Genji.

“She will choose me. Every time.” He stands proudly above. “I’d like to see you try and convince her otherwise.”

After huffing a final laugh, Genji leaves the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gracias mí padre: thank you, father  
> E e: huh?  
> hermano: brother  
> migi: right  
> Va a ser su propia ruina: You will be your own ruin  
> Dono yō ni kōun watashi no tame ni: How lucky for me.  
> Sì, yo hago: Yes, I do  
> ¿Qué carajo significa eso?: What the fuck does that mean?


	22. Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, thoughts, and critique appreciated :)
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Elaina awakens feeling stiff and struggles to remember why she isn't sleeping laying down. The room is still dark, suggesting it’s still late at night, maybe early morning. Her eyes open looking down at her lap.

"Sensei," she yawns, bringing a hand up to rub her eye.

"Not quite, _mì querida_."

His voice jolts her awake and she almost jumps off his lap. Bars holds her by the waist though, preventing escape.

"B-Bars?!" Elaina leans back to look up at him. His bright green eye blinds her in the darkness and she looks away blinking. "How did I-?"

"I am leaving _mì querida_ ," Bars says delicately, ignoring her confusion.

"What?" Elaina straightens up, putting her hands on his chest. She looks back into his eyes, forgetting the discomfort. "But…"

Bars's hand snakes its way behind her neck, cold fingers on her scalp. "Tell me to stay," he whispers. "And I will."

Elaina grips his vest tight in her hands. "I can't have both…" she thinks aloud, now being pressured to make the choice again.

" _Cierto_ _,_ I will not be sharing."

How can she still be so unsure? The conversation she had with Genji last night was supposed to solidify him as her chosen partner but… 

“Are you leaving for good?” she chokes. “Will I never see you again?”

Bars cocks his head in thought. “I have not decided yet.”

"Would it be too much to ask to stay in contact? To know you are safe.”

Bars chuckles sadly. "First, tell me why. Why him and not me?"

"Bars…" Elaina breaks their eye contact. "You are so different. I don't think I could compare the two of you."

Bars takes the hand from her neck and rubs her bottom lip with his thumb. "You think he needs you more than I do."

It wasn’t a question, and his words sing true in her mind.

"It's not true, _mì querida_ ," Bars says. "I am isolated without you. Never to experience the warm elation of physical contact and love ever again.”

"That's not true," she protests. "You have Deadlock."

"You assume a lot from my gang. We ain’t girl scouts braiding each other’s hair."

"They don’t support you at all?" She thinks about how much Overwatch and it’s members have done for her.

Bars laughs again. "Ashe believes in two emotions, anger and fear."

"But Jesse's there now." Elaina feels confident in McCree's ability to supply companionship. He taught Bars how have sex for God's sake.

"And he will be very disappointed in me for not bringing you home."

McCree isn't shy about expressing his distaste for Genji. Surely he has pushed Bars to act directly as Genji's rival.

"You would take me with you? To Deadlock?"

Bars perks up. "Sì, we have no medic."

Elaina considers this hypothetically. "What does your gang actually do?"

"We are the most famous outlaws in South West America!" He exclaims, his hands flying out proudly. "We…"

Bars pauses, his hands lowering back down to hold her. Elaina stares at him expectantly.

"Ehhh… Maybe you wouldn't quite fit, _mì angel_." Bars tucks some stray hairs behind her ear.

"I thought not," Elaina admits. "Plus I don't think Ashe likes me."

" _La jefe_ _?_ She don't know you."

"Maybe it's best that way."

Bars pulls her neck to touch foreheads with her. "I'd fight her for you."

Elaina smiles at his possessiveness. Her hand comes to his cheek, feeling the cold smooth metal. "I won't come between you and your family."

"You never told me why," Bars insists, trying to redirect her.

Elaina doesn't have to ask what he means. She herself tries once again to discover why she has chosen Genji over Bars, as it has always been more of an instinctual choice instead of a conscious one.

Is Genji more attractive to her sexually? Here in Bars's lap, in his huge arms, and remembering his ravenous hands on her body, she cannot say that Bars lacks any less sex appeal to her.

Previously believing that Genji relies on her more than Bars would, she now notices his superior independence to Bars. Genji commonly acts alone and works through his problems independently, while Bars works in a group and speaks openly of his fears to her, seeking support.

Elaina finally decides what ultimately influences her the most.

"I found him first," she reveals, wincing at her own answer.

 _"Qué_ _?!"_ Bars's hands tighten on her during his outcry, head jutting out in disbelief.

"Shh!" Elaina presses a finger over his unmoving mouth.

"That's it?! _Mierda_!" He quiets but is clearly still yelling, just at a lower volume. "Elaina, _por favor_ , you cannot be serious."

"I'm sorry," Elaina apologizes. "I already felt like we were together before I even met you."

"You were not! He abandoned you so many times. How could you remain so committed to someone like that?"

Elaina grimaces. "I know it seems foolish, but I never took his absence personally. Yes I may have been the one to push him to leave, but he would leave not to be apart from me and instead to work out his own demons."

"Now you are making excuses for him, _chica_! You do not have a healthy relationship with this man. He can do no wrong in your eyes, you are blinded."

Elaina thinks back to the last time she spoke with Bars about her relationship with Genji in the barn.

"Bars, how did I end up here?" Elaina asks him, suddenly looking around the room suspicious.

"Don't change the subject." His hand on her cheek directs her attention back to him.

Elaina leans close to Bars, mouth but an inch from his cheek. "He watched us last time, in the barn. He may be listening now."

" _Cabron_ , he did give you to me," Bars admits, also whispering. Both of them look about the room. Bars stares at the doorway to the hall, while Elaina looks to the backdoor. "I swear if he's in that hall, I may actually kill him."

"Actually," Elaina second guesses herself. "I really shouldn't care if he listens. I don't like the idea of keeping secrets from him."

"Elaina stop," Bars growls, then gently shakes her. "Please, come away with me. Distance yourself from him, to see with eyes unclouded."

"Leave him now? I couldn't. I have already chained myself by calling him my partner."

Bars is speechless. His hands run all over her; face, through her hair, over her shoulders, down her back.

"What do I do, _mì querida_?" He asks sadly after surveying her without denial.

"About what?" Elaina plays dumb.

"Tell me what to do. Tell me how to be with you. Help me find a way to restore your sanity." Bars speaks very quietly to her, still fearing an eavesdropper. 

"Um…" Elaina doesn't know what to say. In what circumstance would she be with him? Would she go to Bars if Genji left her? Would she leave Overwatch to stand by his side?

“It’s not just Genji, we live and work on opposite ends of society,” Elaina says. “Even if I did decide to give myself to you, we would be worlds apart.”

Bars’s head turns to the side, thinking rapidly. “You are saying… I need to leave Deadlock? To be with your Overwatch?”

“What?!” Elaina only now sees that her answer would logically lead him to that conclusion. Would Overwatch even accept Bars as an agent? He’s a high price criminal. “Don’t you dare throw your whole life away for me.”

“I would look at it more like… recycling.” She can hear the smile in his voice.

Elaina groans uncomfortably. “I can’t promise that if you came to work at Overwatch that I wouldn’t still choose to stay with Genji.”

“I am fully aware that he is my first obstacle.”

They sit in silence for a bit. Bars pulls her closer and she lays her head on his shoulder.

“You should sleep, _mí_ _angel_ ,” Bars tells her.

“Will you be gone in the morning?”

Bars would roll his eyes if he could. “No way I would leave you like that, I ain’t no ghost.”

“Alright,” Elaina reaches over Bars's leg for a pillow. She shoves it behind her, cushioning her back against the metal.

Sleep does not come to her easily. Her mind keeps playing back her choices like a broken film reel.

Elaina glances at the clock, noticing forty minutes has passed.

Is Bars asleep? 

Elaina slowly leans back to look up at his face. His eyes aren’t glowing and his head is back against the couch, hood still covering most of his head.

She’s reminded of the time she caught Genji sleeping in Hanamura and once again feels the impulse to investigate. Her hand shakes as she reaches for the zipper to his vest.

Yes, she has seen him naked previously, when he had recovered, but she wanted to touch. To feel his realness before he leaves. Feel the joints and pistons move so elegantly.

The late night has stirred her hormones to a frothy paste. Impulsiveness dictates most of her actions as her greatly fatigued mind works thoughtlessly.

The zipper slides down almost noiselessly. Her hand pushes the fabric aside, palm flat on his exposed chest.

Do omnics have some sort of nervous system? Would touching Bars wake him? Elaina hoped it would not, not having a plan if it did.

Omnic physiology fascinates her. Elaina had really wanted to witness Torbjorn work on Bars, but when he had torn off Bars’s crushed chestplate, she ran from the room. It had a strange sense of brutality behind it. 

If only she didn’t feel awkward asking Bars about his body, she thought wistfully. _I bet he would tell me if I was his woman,_ her subconsciousness blurts in her mind. Her hand recoils from touching him, guilty at seeking the knowledge she feels she doesn’t deserve if she could not offer him the same privileges.

Unfortunately, the guilt does not stave her very long.

The hand reaches for him again, fingering the plates on his stomach. Her attention then drifts to a thick green chord. She leans down to visually follow it from beginning to end. It travels from within his chest down past the edge of his pants.

The large round belt buckle shines gold in the light. Bullets lining his belt make his pelvis look like a treasure chest.

Elaina pulls on the edge of his pants. Although she knows there isn’t anything to be seen within, her heart beats loud anyways, body pulsating from the rapid blood flow. The belt buckle pops loose.

 _Stop,_ her brain says and her eyes close. _But I can’t sleep._

She looks back up at Bars. Luckily he still rests. 

His eminent departure has ignited a desire to be close to him. Closer than she can be. 

_Stupid fucking ninja and his stupid fucking honor,_ Elaina’s brain growls. She has gone from nervous to angry, with anger fueling her sexual desire even more. 

Her body screams for sleep but her frustrated horny mind tells her to go running.

Elaina gets up from the couch. Accustomed to Genji’s acute awareness, she is surprised when Bars still does not wake. She passes through the room to the backdoor.

The chill air slaps her face as she moves out into the night. Still very dark, Elaina walks down to the only other place she knows of, the barn. Halfway down the hill a voice sounds at her side.

“Are you okay Elaina?”

“I’m fine thanks,” she lies. Genji might actually be the last person she wants to see right now.

He follows her down the hill to the barn. Elaina stops in the doorway, turning towards him.

“What do you want Sensei?” She doesn’t bother to hide the acid in her voice.

Genji recoils slightly at her aggression. “You are distressed. Let me help you.”

Elaina laughs in his face. “Spying on me again?”

Genji shifts uncomfortably, then rubs the back of his neck.

“Then you should know I left Bars to practice self control.”

Elaina breathes heavily. Her eyes feel so heavy in her head.

“Why did you leave me with him?” she asks. The anger inside her is slowly evolving into sorrow. “I don’t understand. It’s like you’re testing me. And I keep failing the test. But I don’t know what the test is. Then you test me again. I never feel on equal ground with you.” Elaina rambles on, thoughts flying from her mouth almost incoherently.

“Gakusei,” Genji approaches her slowly, still aware of how emotionally charged she is. “I’m sorry. It was selfish of me to do that.”

Elaina cocks her head confused. Why does he want to see her with Bars? “Like seeing me struggle with other men? Does it getcha going?” she mocks immaturely.

Genji crosses his arms, straightening to an imposing figure. “Do not disrespect me Elaina.”

“What is it then?” she yells at him. “Why do you want me to be with him?!”

“I do not want you to be with him.”

“Bullshit,” Elaina’s eyes threaten tears. “You don’t fight for me. You always give him the advantage. I would never throw another woman into your arms!”

Genji lets her yell at him. 

“Maybe I should leave with Bars,” Elaina sniffs. “At least I understand him. He talks to me without me having to ask.”

Still Genji says nothing.

“Say something!” She throws her fists down at her side childishly.

“Make conscious decisions Gakusei. Without manipulation,” he commands, "without regret. That is what I am forcing you to do."

Elaina sniffs again, then rubs the end of her sleeve across her cheek. 

“Finding me first is not a good reason to desire me. Feeling chained to me is not a good reason to stay.”

An aching feeling sweeps over her and she shrinks. 

“Do you want to be with him?” he asks aggressively.

 _Bars would be hugging me in this state, forehead against mine,_ she thinks. _Why is Genji so mean? Has he always been this mean? Has he always been this… selfish?_

Elaina nods.

“Go then,” Genji steps aside and points back to the house.

Elaina’s legs collapse beneath her and she sobs loudly against her knees. “Why are you so mean?”

He doesn’t answer her. _Is he even still here?_

Wobbling from weakness, she rises again and finds herself alone.

She turns and walks into the barn.

The room is almost pitch black. Smells of dust and oil fill her nose again, reminding her of Bars. She tries to recall the layout, blinking tears from her eyes to try and see properly. All she can make out is a table against the wall to her right.

It’s a fairly dangerous room to wander around in with tools, machinery and parts all about the floor.

Elaina crawls under the table and lays down, the cold floor sapping the last of her energy. Looking back at the doorway, Genji is nowhere to be seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mì querida: my darling  
> Cierto: correct  
> La jefe: The boss  
> Que: what  
> Mierda: shit  
> por favor: please


	23. Closure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translated foreign language at end

A hand pulling her out from under the table brings about Elaina’s awareness. Inhaling through her mouth, she coughs from the dust that comes with the air.

“Why, _mí_ _querida_?” Bars lifts her into his arms, holding her tight against him. “I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to not be able to warm you myself.”

His cold hard body may not warm her stiff flesh, but the pressure of his arms on her is an overwhelming relief.

“He did this to you, didn’t he?” Bars spits, walking from the barn into the early sunlight. “He didn’t catch you touching me, did he?”

Elaina doesn’t want to think about her conversation with Genji last night or her impulsiveness towards Bars’s sleeping body. The conversation felt as close to a break up as possible without actually being one. 

The two of them move away from the barn, but not back to the house. Instead, they cross over the hill to the forest edge. The trees sing in the morning wind.

“Elaina,” Bars tries to get something out of her. His vest is still unzipped, she notices. Placing her on her feet under a tree along the grove’s edge, Bars holds her face in his hands. “Please, say something.”

Elaina blinks, eyes unfocused.

His gaze moves back up to the house. “Perhaps I should get _mí_ _padre_.”

The zipper flies up to his chin, vest closed.

“Elaina,” Bars looks back down at her as her hands leave his clothing. Unsure how to help, he pulls her against him again. “Tell me what to do, you're scaring me.”

“I’m sorry Bars,” she says against him, gripping his vest tightly. “You deserve better than me.”

He steps away from her, sits, and pulls her down into his lap. “Talk to me, _mi angel_. Tell me about it.”

Elaina knows that in her bone chilling slumber, the answers had come to her. Talking about them aloud would solidify these revelations but… Was it fair to use Bars in such a way?

“He is my Sensei,” Elaina begins. “In more ways than one. Teaching me about myself as well as the world.”

Bars holds her hand as she speaks, rubbing her thumb with his own.

“Genji is the most intimidating person I have ever met. I think… I originally wanted to be him.”

She is afraid to look at Bars during this speech. “My desire to be just like him evolved into an undying love for him. That is why, I cannot separate myself from him.”

Bars still rubs her thumb. “He is to you what you are to me.”

Elaina looks up at him shocked.

Bars laughs at her expression. “Is that surprising to you, _chica_?”

“I…” She doesn’t know what to say to that. Genji could probably be with anyone, many of whom are much superior to her in every way. Originally pining over Angela, Elaina is sure that choosing her is him settling.

But Elaina feels on equal grounds with Bars, always has.

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Elaina finishes her earlier thought.

Bars cocks his head. “You must think I am ignorant to the passions of love.”

“No of course not!” Elaina waves her hands in front of her. “I mean to say that my achievements and maturity level are dwarfed compared to Genji. Next to you though I feel we are the same height.” She shows Genji with one hand high above her head, where her and Bars are represented by her other hand hovering at her chest.

Bars laughs at her explanation. “Walking with giants are you?”

“I mean… If given the opportunity, why not?”

Bars scoffs. “They will step on you, _chica_. And not even notice.”

Elaina frowns.

“Promise you’ll come to me after being squished okay, _mi querida_?” Bars pulls her forehead to his.

Elaina smiles, placing a hand on his cheek. “I promise.”

They sit together for some time under that tree, watching the sun rise and listening to the birds play.

Elaina sits enduring the swirling anxiety in her stomach. Thinking back on last night, she is now unsure if Genji knows that she intends to stay with him.

Was admitting to wanting to be with Bars at that moment enough to seal her fate with Sensei? Leaving her out in the cold night feels strongly of abandonment.

Elaina stands from Bars’s lap.

“I am afraid,” she admits, looking up at the house on the hill.

“I’ll be with you,” Bars stands as well and places a hand on her shoulder.

“That’s the problem,” Elaina says. “I think he believes I mean to be with you. He may have left already.”

“So he did catch you undressing me last night,” Bars chuckles.

Elaina turns back to him quickly. “No! I mean… I did confirm that he was listening to our conversation but I don’t-”  
“ _Cabron!_ Elaina, I hate this man,” Bars slams a fist against the tree, leaves falling around them, a birb crying in protest. “I am trying to support you but… I am not so sure I can keep playing nice when he disrespects you so.”

“Well with luck you may not have to see him again,” Elaina says sadly.

“Let’s find out,” Bars picks her up, placing her butt in the nook of one arm. He walks briskly up the hill towards the house.

“Bars! Wait!” Elaina tries to jump from her perch but he holds her back with his other arm.

“Nah ah,” he maintains his pace. “We will face him, and if he disrespects you again, I will kill him.”

“No! Please! I need to think more,” Elaina holds her arms around his head, blinding him. They had progressed far enough up the hill to be in the yard now.

“ _Chica_ , get your arms off me,” Bars wrestles with her in his arms like an angry cat but does stop walking.

“Put me down!”

“Face your fears, _chica_!”

“I don’t know what to say to him!”

“Let me do the talking then.”

“No way! You’ll only make things worse!”

“You mean he’ll be giving me a reason to commit homicide.”

“You can’t fight him! Are you insane?”

"You think he's invincible, like some kind of God of War?"

"He will kill you!"

"His blades cannot cut me."

“Bullshit!”

“Um…” Both Elaina and Bars freeze at the new voice. “I am clearly interrupting but…”

Elaina looks over to see Angela standing in the doorway to the house, likely drawn by their commotion.

“Angela,” Elaina acknowledges her. “Bars put me down.”

“ _De ninguna manera_ _,_ ” Bars only holds her more tightly, probably wishing he could glare at the interrupter.

“I wanted to ask if you plan to leave with Bars,” Angela asks brusquely.

“How did you know I was going anywhere, _amiga_?” Bars asks before Elaina can formulate a response.

“Bars!” Elaina hisses down at him, squirming. “Stop trying to cause more conflict! Remember what Torbjorn said about needless fights?”

Laughing openly at her frustration, his fingers pinch her butt affectionately and she slaps the hand away.

“Genji told me you were leaving,” Angela confirms. Elaina sighs, cursing Angela for her ignorance.

“Ah,” Bars recovers. “Of course he did. Bit of a gossip queen isn’t he?”

“Does Elaina not tell you all about her relationship as well? Is he not allowed to have emotional support from another?”

“Angela!” Elaina calls to her, trying to remedy the situation. “I’m sorry! Bars didn’t used to be like this!”

“I was always like this, _chica._ ”

“No I am not leaving with him,” Elaina finally answers. 

Bars grumbles and moves Elaina’s weight to his shoulder.

“Then why are you with him right now and not Genji?” Angela asks aggressively.

Elaina didn’t know Angela to be so nosy into other people’s business. She’s like a possessive mother hen to Genji and it’s beginning to get annoying.

“He left her out in the cold barn, _pendeja,_ I had to pull her out from under a table after what he did to her!” Bars points at Angela in a hostile gesture.

“STOP STOP STOP!” Elaina beats on the top of Bars’s head with each word.

“A better question is,” Bars grabs Elaina’s wrists, stopping her onslaught, “Why is he not here if he intends to be with her? Why am I the one saving her from the hypothermia he has inflicted upon her?!” His voice is booming now, echoing throughout the meadow and surely through the house.

“I am here,” Genji lands in front of Angela from his position on the roof.

“Sensei…” Elaina whispers, hand going to her mouth. 

_He didn't leave?_

“Spying again?” Bars accuses. Elaina can feel him shake with rage against her.

“I think it was you who once said that there is no privacy in yelling outside in a public place,” Genji stands to face him.

Elaina’s eyes beg to stare at him, take in his realness, that he hasn’t left her, but every time she does, the sickly acid in her stomach threatens to burn through her.

“Elaina,” Genji calls to her delicately. “Are you truly not leaving with him?”

Bars is surprisingly quiet. Elaina swallows, choosing her words carefully. 

“My place is with Overwatch. I have no ties to the Deadlock Gang and would most likely not be welcome there,” she intentionally does not express commitment to either man, attempting to preserve both relationships if she can.

Bars grumbles something in Spanish next to her, looking off to the side.

“Elaina, please forgive me for leaving you alone last night. I assumed you had left me for him and no longer wished for my company. I had not considered you would subject yourself to a dangerous environment,” Genji kneels in front of her and Bars.

So Genji did believe her to have chosen Bars over him. Elaina would love to run to him and grant him forgiveness. However, she values her relationship with Bars too much to grant Genji absolution in front of him.

“Bars,” Genji stands again. “How may I repay the kindness you have shown in rescuing Elaina from her own foolishness?”

Bars turns his attention back to the man before him. “Give her to me.”

“I did that already,” Genji says, crossing his arms. “And she came back to me.”

Bars growls in frustration, holding Elaina tighter to him. “Then let me hit you.”

Genji stares up at him, considering. “Very well.”

Elaina gasps, and looks down at Bars. “Wait!”

“No, _mi querida,_ ” Bars finally sets her down.

“But!” Elaina tries to formulate a good reason to protest.

This is not like the sparring match they had instigated in yesterday, this is outright savagery.

“Gakusei, learn to make your decisions with confidence. Time to see that choices come with consequences,” Genji lectures.

“Genji!” Angela now inserts herself into the discussion. “Don’t be a fool! One strike from him could kill you!”

Genji reaches up behind his head to release his helmet. He holds the piece out for Elaina to take, not making eye contact with her.

She takes it and holds it to her chest, eyes watering in fear.

Now freely staring at Genji’s face, Elaina sees the weariness surrounding his eyes. His cheeks show unshaven stubble and his chapped lips make him look severely dehydrated.

Bars resettles his body, lifting his left hand up above his shoulder, elbow back, fingers curled into a tight fist.

Elaina whimpers, eyes darting back between the two.

The strike shows absolutely no restraint and Elaina can’t help but scream. Genji's body flies back and tumbles a bit across the ground, ending in front of the back door.

He rolls over onto his forearms, coughing blood out of his broken mouth and nose.

Sobs break against her hand as Elaina cries as quietly as possible at the scene before her. What should she do? Is she allowed at Genji's side now? She looks to Bars for the answer.

“Follow the lessons you preach _tonto_ , know your fucking place.”

Bars looks at her briefly, then turns, walking down to the barn.

Elaina waits till he's a good distance away before diving down to Genji's side.

"S-sensei," she sobs on the ground next to him.

Genji takes a deep breath and sits up. “Elaina,” his hand reaches for her face.

Angela interrupts them, “Genji, let me heal you.” She crouches next to him, pulling out her pocket Caduceus.

He holds up the hand not on Elaina’s face, stalling Angela. “No.”

“You let this asshole omnic hit you as hard as possible in the face and you just want to live with the scars?” Angela squawks in disbelief.

“What’s one more scar on my face?”

Elaina stands above Angela, eyes wild. “Do not ever speak of Bars in such a way again.”

Angela stands too to face her new opponent dead on. “You can’t be serious Elaina. You did not want him to strike Genji either. As Torbjorn warned, such needless violence.”

A tingling sensation runs down Elaina’s right arm. Yes, she did not desire this outcome, but in addition to Bars satisfying a need to take the woe of rejection out upon his competition, he was undoubtedly fighting for Elaina’s honor as well as his own.

“Angela,” Genji chokes, then spits, now also getting to his feet to stand between them. “Leave. I appreciate your concern, but you are only furthering the conflict, one I have worked to resolve.”

Angela’s eyes burn into Elaina’s, looking past his shoulder.

“Please?” Genji insists impatiently.

“Fine!” She stomps back into the house, slamming the door behind her.

Elaina exhales the breath she had been holding. She stares at Genji’s back in front of her as the emotions inside her swell, spin, burst, and bubble back up.

“Gakusei,” Genji turns to her. The entire lower half of his face is red with blood, drops of it falling from his chin. The sight softens her a bit. “May I ask a favor of you?”

“O-okay,” she stammers.

“I am so tired. I have not slept in… many days.” He rubs his forehead with a hand. “Each time I try to, my mind asks where you are. And if the answer isn’t ‘right next to me,’ it keeps me awake.”

Elaina takes his free hand in hers. “May I at least clean you up a bit first?”

A tired smile comes to his face. “I would like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> De ninguna manera: No way


	24. Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translated foreign language at end

Torbjorn grants Elaina and Genji the spare bedroom with Angela’s consent to leave the room.

“Did you want to…” Elaina looks down at the hard armor adorning his body. “Get more comfortable?”

Genji sighs and sits on the edge of the bed. “I’m too tired.”

Elaina nods and climbs into the plush bed. She hasn’t experienced this level of comfort herself in a few days either. Not surprisingly, the laps of mechanical men do not make for proper sleeping surfaces.

Elaina lays on top of the covers, back against the pillow and headboard. Does he just want her nearby or…?

Genji crawls from the end of the bed up to her. His hands come up to her knees and part her legs.

Her heart almost explodes as he lowers his upper body down on her stomach and pelvis, head on her chest.

“Is this okay, Gakusei?” he asks breathlessly.

“A-ah…” Elaina tries to speak.

He lifts his head to look at her. “You are shaking. Are you cold?”

“N-no…” Elaina’s hands are up at her shoulders, unsure where to place them. “I am just… Unaccustomed to your affection.”

Genji lays his head back down chuckling.

The position reminds her of how she used to sleep on the couch with her mother when she was a child. The two of them would stay up to watch foreign cartoons, the ones her father hated, late at night and would always end up falling asleep. Her mother used to run her fingers through Elaina’s hair, combing through the tangles and massaging her head.

Before she knows it, her hands are moving through his dark shiny hair, fingernails massaging his scalp. He murmurs in pleasure against her.

After a few minutes his breathing steadies.

Elaina really isn’t in a position to sleep herself, but has decided she doesn’t really want to. 

The weight of his body against her is so incredibly satisfying. With the cartoons still on her mind, she starts humming one of the opening songs. She can't remember which show it was or even any of the lyrics. Her eyes close in thought.

Elaina’s eyes snap open. When did she fall asleep?

The covers of the bed have been pulled over her and her head rests on one of the pillows. She blinks a couple of times, coming to. Looking down, Genji’s arm is across her chest, holding her close against him. Noticing this, Elaina can feel the rest of him against her too. 

Her heart kick starts, banishing any remaining sleepiness she has. She turns in his grip to look at him.

The golden eyes she meets make her jump.

“Sensei,” Elaina whispers. The abuse Genji had taken yesterday shows horribly on his face. His nose was clearly broken but now she can see that his cheek bone is also likely fractured. She reaches up and touches the injury delicately. “I’m sorry.”

He takes her hand from his face. “ _Sarani warui koto ga arimasu_. I could have lost you.”

That line of thought makes her think back to Bars. She wonders what he's doing now and how long she has been sleeping.

Thinking about Genji being awake while she slept, Elaina wonders if he left the room at all. Does he know what Bars is doing? Did they speak again while she was knocked out? She feels like he's always sneaking around, more than she knows.

How long has he been spying on her? Did he follow her and Lena to Gibraltar when they met McCree?

“Sensei?”

“Hm?”

“Will you stop spying on me please?”

“Ah!” Genji looks away embarrassed. “ _Gomen'nasai_ _._ It is a bad habit of mine.”

She runs her hand through his hair again and his eyes close.

“Sensei.”

“Hm?” he moans.

“Stop spying on me,” she whispers.

Genji doesn’t respond, eyes still closed.

“Genji!” She sits up, frustrated.

“Gakusei,” he looks up at her, smiling. “Will you accompany me to the monastery?”

“What?” He successfully distracts her.

“Come with me to the Shambali.”

"You want to leave again?" The disappointment hangs heavy in her words.

"Leave? I would take you with me."

"But," she hesitates. Anytime alone with Genji sounds dreamy, however, Elaina harbors guilt as an Overwatch agent. "When was the last time you let Winston send you on a mission?"

His head cocks in thought. "It was shortly before I assisted in Bars's rescue."

"Really?" That was a lot sooner than she thought. Maybe they haven't been slacking and instead everything around her moves too fast.

"You fear complacency in the Organization?" Genji asks her.

She nods. "Overwatch has done so much for me. I feel an imbalance in the work I'm putting in. Like this incredibly selfish journey, taking advantage of our connections."

Genji considers this, then smiles. "I have an idea, Gakusei."

Reinhardt Wilhelm is a giant man. Elaina cannot believe this human occurs naturally. The young woman he brings with him, Brigette, reminds her a lot of Lena. They both seem to carry endless energy and with it, a palpable positivity.

"Why you old fool!" Reinhardt bellows through the house. "Never keep that kind of information from me again or our relationship may be at an end!"

The whole house shakes after he slams the door with his exit.

"I told you Papa," Brigette lectures.

"He's not fit for active duty," Torbjorn grumbles. "I was doing him a favor."

She looks down. "I know you were."

Elaina hides behind Genji's shoulder, looking out wearily.

"And you!" Torbjorn points to Elaina's shield. "How dare you come between me and my family. And after I helped you with your omnic friend."

Elaina hadn’t seen Bars since he took his anger out on Genji, which was two days ago. It was almost undeniable that he had left but she was too afraid to ask. His absence, however, did allow her to heal Genji’s face to perfection without fear of retaliation.

Elaina pops her head back into hiding, unable to hide the shame from her face. When Genji suggested that they make this personal mission a professional one by recruiting previous active agents, she didn't think it would be at the expense of others.

"The fracture in your family was no fault of my own," Genji stands straight. "Disrupting his Overwatch beacon was a breach of trust I had nothing to do with."

Torbjorn growls in frustration.

“He’s right Papa, and I am going with him,” Brigette commits.

“What?!” Just when Elaina thinks Torbjorn’s face can’t get any redder, it does. “I forbid it!”

“You tried to save him from dying in active duty by keeping him from going, now let me save him by standing by his side,” she holds a hand on her chest proudly.

The dwarf storms from the room and an uncomfortable silence replaces him.

Brigette takes a breath and turns to Genji. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we were properly introduced.”

She holds out a hand to Genji. Instead of taking it, he bows formally, one hand across his stomach, the other behind his back. The bow reveals Elaina, who stands wide-eyed like a deer in headlights.

Brigette brings the offered hand to her mouth in a chuckle.

“Genji Shimada,” he comes up from the bow announcing himself. “And this,” he steps to the side, “Is my partner Elaina.”

_Partner._

“Hello,” Elaina leans forward a little flushed in the cheeks and offers her left hand.

“Brigette Lindholm,” she takes her hand in a firm grip. Now not standing next to Reinhardt, Brigette stands tall herself at over six feet. Her beautiful auburn hair is mostly tied back in a careless ponytail, a few strands loose about her cheery face. The grease stains on her clothes and hands suggest that she’s a mechanist just like her father.

“I-I’m sorry if we came between you and your father,” Elaina mumbles.

“Oh I’m not worried about him,” she says. “I am still very concerned for Reinhardt, though. He has almost no sense of self preservation.”

“Maybe…” Elaina hesitates, knowing it may not be her place to voice opinions. “Being back in Overwatch would be good for him then.”

Brigette cocks her head. “How so? I thought your organization was the front line for the omnic crisis.”

“It is, but if Reinhardt is reckless as you say but comes back to Overwatch, he will have to follow the orders of a commander, and in doing so many be in less danger overall.”

Genji nods next to her, making her blush.

“Wow!” Brigette lights up with a smile. “I never thought of it that way! Are you one of these commanders?”

“Me?!” Elaina points at her own chest.

Both Brigette and Genji laugh at her exasperation.

“Mreow!”

The group looks down to a huge white cat with a sort of helmet on.

“Mitzi!” Brigette squeals, kneeling down to give the animal its requested attention. Elaina squats down too, more than enough cat to go around.

“What’s that on his head?” Elaina asks.

Brigette chuckles, “Oh me and Papa built him a jetpack one time for fun. He’s got a soft head now.”

“Oh god,” Elaina whispers under her breath.

“We should get going, Gakusei,” Genji tells her.

She nods and stands back next to him.

“Are we not all returning together?” Brigette asks, brows furrowing.

“You and Reinhardt will return with Angela,” Genji explains. “Elaina and I will come back in a few days. I assume we will actually arrive at the base around the same time.”

“Well,” Brigette lifts the huge cat in her arms as she stands to see them off. “I look forward to seeing you again.”

She walks from the room, cat swaying.

“Elaina,” Genji places a hand on her shoulder. “I do not want you to feel regret at leaving without saying goodbye.”

Elaina swallows nervously. “Is he even still here?”

“He is.”

Her eyes flash up to him and she grumbles. “I-I don’t know.” 

Maybe Genji’s spying could be to her advantage this time.

“Is he actively avoiding me?”

“No, he’s actively avoiding me, and I obviously have not left your side so...”

“I should go alone then,” she observes.

“If you must.”

Elaina turns towards the back door. Just as she reaches for the handle she turns back to Genji. “Do not spy on me, Sensei.”

He doesn’t respond but looks at her.

“Genji. Please.”

He sighs looking away from her, arms falling from their crossed position at his chest. “ _Tashikani_.” 

Elaina leaves with his consent to not breach her privacy.

The day is cold, and although Elaina always wears a warm long sleeve shirt, she still feels the need to wrap her arms about her body.

Her gaze travels from the tree line at the edge of the meadow to the barn. Reinhardt had left through this door as well but he is nowhere to be seen. Elaina suspects that Bars has been in the barn the past couple of days. Is Reinhardt in there too?

As she approaches the barn, no voices carry through its walls. She looks back over her shoulder suspicious, but finds no evidence of being followed.

The door to the barn creaks loudly when she pushes it open.

“Hello!” Reinhardt’s booming voice greets her.

Elaina quickly scans the room. “Ah- yes, hello,” she responds, not making eye contact. “I’m sorry if I interrupted your privacy, I didn’t know you were in here.”

“That’s quite alright! I should probably stop sulking here anyways.”

Elaina is only half listening, still looking about the room for evidence of Bars. The room is so full of metal, machines and machine parts that her searching yields nothing.

“Looking for something?” Reinhardt leans over her inquisitively.

“Yes actually,” Elaina strains her neck to look up at him. Perhaps Bars left when Reinhardt came in? “I’m looking for Bars.”

“Bars?” Reinhardt now looks around the room himself. “You know, I don’t know where Torbjorn keeps his materials… But what kind of bar were you looking for? I will help!”

“Ah-!” Elaina’s hand flies to her forehead. “I’m sorry, I should not have addressed him as such, Bars is a person.”

“She talking ‘bout me, _anciano_.”

Their heads snap towards the voice in the southwest corner of the room.

Bars leans up against the wall near some supply boxes.

"An omnic! How long have you been here?!" Reinhardt exclaims.

“Longer than you.” Bars makes his way over to their position. The way he walks makes it seem as though he could lash out at any moment.

Reinhardt moves slightly in front of Elaina, probably meaning to shield her body with his. He doesn’t even know her name and he’s trying to protect her, evidence of Brigette's earlier claim.

“That’s close enough,” Reinhardt holds up a hand, stalling Bars.

“Reinhardt, it’s okay,” Elaina slides past him.

He looks down at her. “You are sure? This bot looks rather unsavory.”

“ _¿Qué sabes de mi?_ ” Bars growls, fists clenching. Elaina wonders how long he’s been on edge.

“Bars please,” Elaina begs for peace.

“Don’t you reach out to me now, chica.”

Elaina recoils at his hostility. “Reinhardt, would you mind if I spoke with him alone?”

The giant man shifts uncomfortably. “Why? Why is your Genji not here with you?”

“Sir,” Elaina speaks curtly. “I appreciate your concern, but I can handle myself. This man is no threat to me. Will you leave me to sort out my business?”

Reinhardt looks at Bars again. “I am not comfortable with this.”

“I am not your responsibility, if you are anxious about my well being, please reach out to Genji, who already knows I am here alone with him.”

Elaina is horribly upset that her first real interaction with Reinhardt has to be this way. Touched by his overly doting nature, she fears for Bars’s safety if their interaction happens to escalate.

Reinhardt looks at her sadly, making it ever harder to kick him out. Elaina reaches up to touch his cheek, he leans down to allow her the physical contact.

"Please, it's very important to me," she tries to impress the desire upon him.

"Okay, _kleines Mädchen_." He lumbers out without another look back at Bars.

Elaina takes a deep breath after he leaves, hand rubbing the back of her neck. All these emotionally charged interactions are more exhausting than any physical training she has endured.

"I didn't think you were still here," Elaina admits.

"Too angry to leave." His tone supports this claim.

"Wouldn't distancing yourself from your problems help you heal?" She finally looks up at him. The bright green and blue eyes look listlessly into the room but his body stands rigid.

"Nah, I ain't one to run away."

"I came to say goodbye," Elaina says, hoping to escape sooner rather than later.

"You leaving me here? After I came to help you mourn your hermano? You never even told me his name." He starts tapping his boot foot.

Her left hand comes to cover her unwanted tears as thoughts of Josef come back to her.

“Please don’t,” she begs. “Why is it nothing or everything with you? You are only now concerned for my despair when it helps keep me close to you. I didn’t think you were so selfish.”

Bars relaxes a little from the weight of the guilt. “ _Mi querida_ ,” he whispers sadly, taking a step closer.

“Bars,” she wipes her eyes, and steps back. “I love you. But… I don’t want to… and I can’t be _su querida_. Please, go on without me.”

Elaina turns quickly after the confession and flees the barn.

Her legs scream with sudden fatigue as she sprints back up to the house. The backdoor is open, probably from Reinhardt reentering, and she maintains the speed into the house, flying across the room, past Reinhardt, to Genji.

The hard impact against him hurts, but once he catches her in his arms, holding her tight, the pain and fear begin to melt off.

“That was shorter than I expected,” he lays his masked cheek against her head. “Thank you for making it so.” 

Elaina prays that they leave fast enough before Bars’s ambitions catch up to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sarani warui koto ga arimasu: It could have been worse  
> Gomen'nasai: I'm sorry  
> Tashikani: sure  
> anciano: old man  
> ¿Qué sabes de mi?: What do you know about me?  
> kleines Mädchen: small lady


	25. The Bath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH thank you for making it this far <3  
> This is my favorite chapter, I hope you enjoy.
> 
> MILD SEXUAL CONTENT
> 
> Translated foreign language at end

Elaina’s breath comes out in puffy white clouds. The newly bought scarf and hat warm the more critical parts of her. 

Waiting at the base of the mountain for Genji, she looks up as high as she can see to try and spot the monastery supposedly at the top.

“Ready to go?” he asks. Genji had also donned clothing. Apparently this weather was too cold for even his suit to regulate his body temperature efficiently. It wouldn’t kill him, but it would be uncomfortable.

“You look nice,” she says smiling.

“Hah, don’t try and butter me up, Gakusei,” he chuckles. “I said I wouldn’t carry you and I mean it.”

Elaina pouts. The monastery was placed in such a way on purpose. According to Genji, one of the trails of the Shambali is the climb of the snowy mountain to their doors. Climbing isn’t supposed to be hard or dangerous, as it's usually done by omnics, but any physical exertion for her in the snow is terrible.

“Why do we need to walk again?” Elaina asks. Genji had told her already, but she spaced out after the fear of the mountain had consumed her.

“Leave your past, pride, and prejudices at the foot of the mountain. Arrive with space in your mind to accept the Iris and achieve enlightenment,” Genji recites.

“Right…”

Religion, or it’s likeness, has always gone over Elaina’s head. Any answers she had gone to seek out, she had found through science. The only aspect of religion that made clear sense to her is the togetherness that its attendee’s feel. But Elaina never got used to being a part of a larger group so that aspect doesn't peak her either. 

They come to the first buildings that the monastery has to offer. It looks to be a small village. Much of the buildings are made out of dull red bricks, the roofs feature those beautiful sweeping shingles that are so iconic of asiatic buildings.

“This place serves as the living area for those who stay here long term,” Genji explains.

“It’s beautiful here,” Elaina breathes. Never had she imagined she would visit an entirely omnic community. She had wanted to visit the Underworld in King’s Row but clearly never got the opportunity. “Do you have a room here?”

“I do.”

The two of them make their way through the snow covered village. The omnic people around are keenly focused on their tasks and don't even seem to notice their presence. Up a set of stairs, dangerously close to the cliff edge, and to the left, they enter a small room.

“Here,” Genji says.

“This?” Elaina looks around. The entryway they pass through has no actual door and is instead just a doorway. Ten feet across from it, on the other wall is another doorway leading outside. The snow falls freely into the room, coating much of the floor. “It… doesn’t have any doors. Don’t you get cold?”

Genji fingers a happi, a sort of half robe featured in traditional Japanese clothing, that was hanging on the wall. “Yes. It was very difficult when I first arrived. Warmth, fire, they are luxuries.”

Elaina shivers. Is this a philosophy of the Shambali or is it just an unfortunate circumstance? Either way, she hates the idea of sleeping in the cold, feels like laying down to rest eternally.

“Let’s proceed,” Genji motions to the other doorway.

They leave the village, without interacting with anyone, and continue up the mountain path to the next level of the monastery.

The next structures they come upon appear to be the main place of worship or practice. This time, they are greeted by one of the omnic monks.

“Ah Genji,” the monk calls out to him. This monk must be a Tekhartha as he features nine dots on his forehead. They bow to each other.

“Good day, Rinnatta,” Genji comes up from the bow a little stiff. Elaina thought this omnic might be Zenyatta, as many of the monks here look and dress similarly, but apparently not. He wears a dark blue robe and features the same golden accents that Mondatta and Zenyatta have.

“Who is this you have brought with you?” Rinnatta looks between the two of them. “Wait, let me guess…” he puts a hand on his chin. “She is your wife!”

Elaina noticeably jolts, looking to Genji.

“Heh,” he snickers. “How observant of you to notice her importance to me, alas, she is simply my student.”

Her previously perked up shoulders slump in disappointment. 

_Just a student. Guess we’ve backpedaled._

Genji pinches her cheek. “Calm down, Gakusei.”

“Yes, Sensei,” she grumbles.

Rinnatta laughs. “My apologies. Looks like I’ve touched on a sensitive topic. I know you are not one for intimacy, Genji, I was simply teasing.”

Elaina looks away from their conversation to hide her reaction.

_How well do they know each other? Do they have a history involving unrequited intimacy?_

“Elaina,” Genji calls her attention. “Do not be rude.”

She looks back to see Rinnatta bowing to her in greeting.

“Ah, I’m so sorry!” she quickly bows as well.

“Looks like the walk hasn’t cleared your mind,” Rinnatta comments.

“Forgive me,” she maintains the bow. “I’ve… experienced a lot recently.”

“Do not worry, most come here like this.”

Elaina rises.

“Would you like a bath?”

“Huh?” she finally looks at the monk.

“We have a nice indoor hot spring,” he motions vaguely behind him.

Elaina looks back at Genji. “Would you come with me?”

“Are you asking me to bathe with you?”

“Is that not okay? I am just your student after all,” she says derisively.

“Clever,” Genji says, “but no.”

“Allow me to bathe with you," Rinnatta offers.

Her attention moves back to the monk. “You will? Oh that’s so thoughtful of you.” She moves up close to him flirtatiously.

“Ah!” Genji reaches towards her.

“Lead the way,” she hooks arms with Rinnatta and winks at Genji.

He whips his head in disbelief, but Rinnatta has already begun to walk with her at his side.

“ _Mattaku sono josei to osoiari ugoite imasen_ ,” Genji grumbles. “ _Watashi wa karera ga issho ni aru koto ni tsuite warui kanji o motte imasu_.”

Rinnatta takes her inside and through a narrow set of halls. The water that warms the hot spring must also travel underneath or by the walls as the interior is confusingly warmer, despite no visible heat source. He stops in front of a red wooden door. 

“You may undress in here,” he opens the door for her. “The bath is there.” He points to the end of the hall to a doorway. Steam comes from the room, gathering at the ceiling of the hall.

“Thank you,” she smiles at him. The changing room holds a small wood cubby on the wall, wood bench, and a wicker basket with fluffy towels in it. Taking off her clothes slowly, she folds each one. After making a poor first impression with Rinnatta, small tidy actions like this one help build back up a crumbling self esteem.

She wraps herself in one of the towels and returns to the hallway. The stone floor immediately freezes her feet and she almost jogs to the bath. 

Inside, Rinnatta squats next to the water, testing it with a hand. He is also naked and Elaina’s eyes snap closed. Behind her eyelids she sees Bars’s chest, exposed after undressing him herself.

“Elaina?” the voice sounds close to her.

“Ah!” she jumps, backing away.

“What’s wrong?” Rinnatta places a now warm hand on her shoulder.

“Forgive me,” she sighs. _Already embarrassed myself again._

“Do not apologize. Help me understand.”

“I just… I don’t know why I didn’t think you would be… naked. It just-”

Rinnatta looks down at himself. “Naked? You are embarrassed by my state of being?”

Elaina swallows and nods.

“Truly? Never have I had anyone feel this way.”

“Yes, I am aware of how atypical I am.”

Rinnatta motions her to the bath. “Please, you’ll feel better in the water. And see?” He gets in, “I am obscured.”

Elaina moves to the pool's edge and crouches next to it. Lowering her hand into the bath, she murmurs. Rinnatta watches her.

_Should I ask him to avert his eyes? No, don’t be foolish._

Her fingers grip the edge of the towel too tight, to try and keep them from shaking. Elaina folds the towel after it comes away from her, setting it next to the bath, and steps in.

The hot water embraces her and she closes her eyes. Her shaking hands steady as she leans back against the edge of the stone bath.

“You have been intimate with omnics before?”

Elaina’s eyes fly open to look at him. “Um… yes. Well, almost.”

“Will you tell me about it?”

Elaina grips her own arm tightly while gritting her teeth.

“Pardon my curiosity, I have not spoken with a human in… several years, if you don’t count Genji, and I tend not to as he is rather predictable.”

“Predictable? Really?”

_Bullshit._

“Yes,” he sighs. “He has adapted well to the Shambali lifestyle.”

Elaina moves her hand through the water, watching it ripple and move.

“But you,” Rinnatta scoots closer to her. “Exhibit the exact kind of human behavior that fascinates me.”

Elaina laughs at this.

_No way this monk is flirting with me right?_

“Funny you should say that, I actually feel similarly, but to your kind.”

“Perfect! We may exchange curiosities then?”

“U-uh… Okay,” she consents, but is weary of him.

“Why don’t you start?”

Elaina picks her mind. Previously wanting to discover these things with Bars, she is now given the opportunity to ask tactless questions about omnics and their life without consequence. With the added bonus of not having to engage in intimacy to achieve the knowledge.

“You said earlier, to Genji, that you know he’s not interested in intimacy. How do you know that?”

“Hm? That is not a question about my people.”

Elaina lowers into the water, blowing bubbles in discontent.

“He is not omnic, you know this, yes?”

Her lips peek out over the water. “Yeah.”

Rinnatta giggles. “Your attraction to omnics brought you to him?”

“What?” she pops back up above the surface. “The omnic I was with was after I met him. If anything, my interest in him has coaxed my receptivity to omnics.”

“So you are interested in intimacy from him? This is why you are asking me about my earlier comment?”

Elaina averts her gaze, frustrated. 

_I guess I wasn’t trying to hide my involvement with Genji but… I can’t help but feel manipulated by his speech._

“Yeah, sure you got me.” Elaina pouts.

Rinnatta laughs again. “Ah… the evolution of your emotions moment to moment is the most entertainment I have experienced in many years.”

Feeling like a carnival show to this man makes her blood boil. “You are rude, using my desires and fears to your amusement.” Elaina moves to leave the bath, standing out of the water.

“No! Please,” Rinnatta takes her hand. “I meant no offense! If anything, I was praising how good your company is to me.”

Elaina looks down at him, then at his metal hand in hers. So similar to Bars’s. Thinking of Bars softens her and she sits down again.

“Thank you,” Rinnatta releases her hand. “I will answer your question as a means of apology. I know of Genji’s distaste for intimacy as Master Zenyatta has spoken to me of it.”

Elaina listens intently.

“You see, we Tekhartha all tend to focus on separate aspects of human nature. Mondatta was the authority on togetherness, he was my Master. I take after him.”

“What does Zenyatta focus on?” Elaina asks curiously, leaning closer to Rinnatta.

“Zenyatta is a Master on self control. Banishing foul emotions you could say. Feelings like anger, regret, fear, envy, these such things. Then replacing them with serenity.”

“That makes sense,” Elaina thinks out loud.

“For Genji you mean?”

“Uh, yes. That was what I meant.” Elaina smiles to herself. “You said you take after Mondatta. Meaning your studies focus on togetherness?”

“Yes,” Rinnatta perks up. “I have now assumed his role in that aspect of our teachings.”

“So Zenyatta came to you in search of advice on Genji’s rejection of intimacy?” Elaina guesses.

“That is correct.” A smile comes through his speech.

“What did you say?”

“Hm… I am thinking, I have answered many of your questions and it is now your turn to answer me.”

Elaina slumps, cut loose before the climax of the story. “Okay,” she mumbles.

“Tell me about this omnic you fell in love with,” Rinnatta requests.

“Love?” she asks confused, sure she hadn’t claimed so before.

“Yes, love. I can see him hiding behind your eyes when you look at me. If you were not aware of it before, you should be now.”

Elaina sighs. “I did already know, actually, and even told him.”

Rinnatta scoots a little closer still, his leg almost touching hers now.

“He… My involvement with him began after I saved his life.” Elaina recounts the part of her Route 66 mission to Rinnatta, explaining her ability to grant others stamina.

“I was curious about your scars.”

“Oh,” Elaina lifts her right arm from the water. “This arm serves the opposite purpose. It takes life.”

“Really? Fascinating! It is not unlike omnium dichotomy then.”

“Right,” Elaina recalls Genji explaining Tekhartha orbs to her.

“So Bars became attached to you because you saved him?”

“I suppose.” 

“Good, makes sense. Now, tell me what happens next.”

Elaina continues the story by detailing the events in Gibraltar, how she asked Genji to assist in Bars’s rescue, and how confused she was about her feelings for Bars. Finally, they reach Sweden.

After speaking for so long, the two now sit on the edge of the bath, taking a break from the hot water.

“After being revived he was so different.”

“You said he was upgraded by an omnic scientist?”

“Yes, Torbjorn brought him back.”

“But upgraded. What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, right!” Elaina points at him. “Similarly, I have a question for you.” Rinnatta cocks his head. “The dots, on your heads, they have meaning.”

Rinnatta nods in understanding. “Bars’s consciousness was unchained from the workers' shackles?”

“Huh?”

“Omnics meant for labor are given limiters on their decisions and free will to prevent conflict amongst them and humans. I am guessing he was less… Delicate, after awakening?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Elaina nods, they sit very close together now, faces only a few inches apart, shoulders and legs touching.

“What state did he begin at? When you met him?” Rinnatta points to his own head.

“He had four dots on his head.”

“Mmm…” Rinnatta considers this. “He must have reached that state independently. What is he now?”

“Torbjorn granted him seven.”

“Very good. I spent many of my years at level seven. Mondatta used to say that this is why I am so drawn to human intimacy.”

“So… Will you tell me about level seven? What does that mean for Bars?”

“Seven is where humanity lies. It exhibits the same ebb and flow of emotions as humans. It features selfishness and… sexuality.”

Elaina can almost feel Bars’s hands on her and twitches at the memory.

Too nervous to focus heavily on the last aspect she asks, “What happens after level seven?”

“Level eight banishes selfishness and grants more empathy.”

Elaina nods. “And nine?”

“Ninth level is enlightenment. Complete control over all aspects from every level and choice in these things. As such I still focus heavily on level seven. But the focus is not akin to emotion. There is desire, yes, but it is not overwhelming, I decide how much I would like to indulge it, without letting it consume me.”

Elaina sighs. “That sounds amazing.”

Rinnatta snorts. “I can see why you specifically would think so.”

Elaina shrugs, this monk clearly understands her personality perfectly.

“Now,” Rinnatta refocuses. “Tell me about him. About Bars.”

“Bars,” Elaina sighs his name, wondering what has become of him now. “He became very impulsive. Confrontational, especially to Genji. And he spoke Spanish, which he had never done before. But despite his radical nature, he was very doting upon me. Cared deeply for my state of being."

“He wanted you,” Rinnatta suggests. “Sexually as well?”

“Yes, seemingly out of the blue.”

“Let me tell you something,” Rinnatta leans close. “He always wanted you.”

“What? How do you know?”

“His behavior. His commitment to you. It should have been obvious.”

“But…” Elaina hates to admit it to another omnic, but, “At the time, I was unversed in omnics. Their personalities. How much they could actually feel or exhibit. I know it’s incredibly close minded and I hate knowing I was like that to him.”

“He didn’t exhibit a unique personality to you?”

“Well… I honestly haven’t known him that long. He’s different from the other people I know but I don’t know any other omnics. The way he acted felt… generic.”

“But earlier you told me that you admitted love for him.”

Her jaw clenches. “I… may regret doing that actually. I told him before I left. And have not spoken to him since.”

“What changed?”

“He began to feel real when granted level seven.”

“Hmm… so only a few days of seeing his true self and you fell for him? He must be quite the man.”

“Ah…” her face heats up. Luckily, it’s already red from the bath so maybe he won’t notice.

“That has to be faster than the time it took for you to fall for Genji, huh?”

_Shit. He’s right. But maybe he’s biased since he is also an omnic. Also, it doesn’t seem like him and Genji are too friendly._

“He took advantage of my vulnerability, and moved way faster than Genji.” She snubs him, crossing her arms. “I won’t let it happen again.”

“Then you do not intend to be with him.”

“Bars? No… I do mourn our friendship though.”

Rinnatta laughs aloud. “That poor man. I’ll have you know that omnics love for life. Well, usually.”

“You mean…” A stone drops in her stomach.

“Yes. Our thoughts and feelings are not fleeting as humans are. Bars will never forget any of his interactions with you, why he fell in love with you, and will most likely calculate the exact scenario to regain your attention. We are smarter than humans you know.”

Elaina whimpers, holding her aching tummy.

“So, why did you choose Genji?”

A sigh escapes her, innards cramping even more.

_How many people are going to ask me this question? It always makes me feel like I’ve made the wrong choice._

"To be honest, I'm still very unsure. Not in my choice in Genji, but as to why. I told Bars it was because I fell for Genji first, which both him and Genji did not like. I myself don't believe that's the only reason either but..."

"May I infer?"

"Please do."

“Your love for Bars came from his love for you."

"Wait but-"

Rinnatta holds up a hand. "Let me finish."

Her body scrunches in submission.

"Never have you experienced such honest and open commitment before. Not to say that you couldn’t fall in love with Bars’s personality with time too but you chose Genji because you love him for him, for what he represents as a person. And that... is much more enticing than your physical needs."

Her eyes close slowly. The words dance around her mind, filling the exact holes in her decision making that she has been trying to fill herself.

"If you wish to maintain your relationship with Genji," he continues, "I would recommend distancing yourself from Bars before he fills both roles you yearn for, doting lover and fascinating prodigy."

Elaina swallows. “But I think about Bars endlessly and am constantly frustrated with Genji’s inability to satisfy my desire for closeness. What if it's too late?"

Elaina swishes the water around again. 

“Which brings us back,” Rinnatta says calmly. “To my conversation with Zenyatta.”

Elaina perks back up.

“Unfortunately there is not much to say,” Rinnatta admits. “In Genji’s training, Zenaytta pushed him to seek the solace of others. Intimacy, simple physical contact, communal activities, not unlike what we are doing now. He even offered to give these things to Genji himself.”

Elaina’s eyes pop. “Zenyatta offered to have sex with Genji?!” Her voice carries around the room and down the hall. Her hot hands slap over her mouth in regret.

Rinnatta barks out in laughter while Elaina looks over her shoulder at the hallway. Luckily she cannot see anyone around.

_Please don’t be spying on me Sensei._

“I was actually surprised as well. It is quite uncharacteristic of Zenyatta. But in anticipation of asking Genji, I did show Zenyatta all I know of the pleasure of the flesh, or I suppose it would not be flesh, but… you know?”

“Wait,” Elaina speaks quietly, afraid of outbursting again. “So you had sex with Zenyatta?”

“Yes.” He seems confused by her lowered speech.

Elaina’s mind works furiously, trying to deduce what that means.

“Bars asked me for sex and I didn’t know what that meant for him, as an omnic,” she thinks outloud. “When I asked, he said to him it just meant pleasuring me but… You and Zenyatta are both omnics so…”

Elaina looks up at Rinnatta for further explanation.

“No, please continue, I would like to see where your thoughts bring you.”

“Shit,” Elaina curses under the pressure, cogs in her mind turning again. “Another question then.”

“Yes?”

“Do omnics have nerves? Or a similar system of feeling?”

“Good question!” Rinnatta raises a finger. “We do.”

“So… You have a sweet spot?” Elaina asks delicately.

“Ha!” Rinnatta’s head bobs in a laugh. “I like your lingo. Omnics have parts that have a concentration of these nerve-like structures, yes. Similar to fingertips, lips, and genitalia.”

Elaina gasps, then fidgets.

_Does Bars know of these? I would guess not._

“You wish to know where, don’t you?” Rinnatta’s hand takes hers.

Elaina watches curiously as he pulls her right up against him.

“Unlike human genitalia, our ‘sweet spots’ as you have named them, are not easily accessed.”

Rinnatta turns so that his back is to her. He brings her hand to the nape of his neck, then their fingers enter together under the back of his head.

“Feel… Carefully,” he instructs. Elaina moves her fingers very slowly as instructed. “Search for the-” He gasps. “Yes, the rough braided cable.”

She strokes it and his body twitches.

“There,” he sighs. Elaina takes her hand from his, suspicious of what he's making her do. 

“And,” he turns back towards her, holding his hand out for hers again. Insatiable curiosity clouds her mind as she grants him her hand a second time.

“The next spot,” he directs their hands to the top of his stomach. Their fingers travel up under the chest plate. “Now that you know what the braid feels like, find the other on your own.”

Rinnatta removes his hand to allow her to search. She fingers around inside, still concerned that she will somehow hurt him.

“Do not be afraid,” he encourages her.

Determined, she fingers around more aggressively. The knuckle of her ring finger brushes a familiar texture and she returns to it.

“Yes.”

_Was that a moan?_

“I have heard,” he suggests, “that fingernails offer the most gratifying sensation, when handling us.”

All fingers on the cable, Elaina takes her index and scratches it, the material catching slightly under her nail.

Rinnatta buckles, one hand grips the edge on the pool and the other seizes her forearm, hot fingers leaving imprints.

This time it is unmistakably a moan. He twitches and waves his head is obvious bliss. Elaina tries to remove her hand but he holds it in place, waiting out the orgasm.

“Rinnatta,” a voice calls from the entryway to the bath.

Elaina’s head jerks even though it is not her name that was called.

Genji stands arms crossed in the doorway.

Elaina squeals at the sight of him, yanking her hand back and diving back into the pool.

“Ah…” Rinnatta stays put, still recovering. “How rude of you to interrupt Genji.”

Elaina hides underneath the water, only eyes and nose poking out.

“What are you teaching my student?”

Rinnatta straightens. “Nothing I haven’t offered to show you.” He holds his hand out to him. “Why don’t you join us?”

“Gakusei,” Genji walks to the edge of the pool to look down at her, ignoring the monk attempting to seduce him.

“Come with me,” he commands.

Elaina whimpers.

“Now, Gakusei.”

She moves to the edge of the pool closest to her towel. Rising from the water, she quickly wraps herself, noticing that Genji has his eyes averted

Rinnatta sighs. “Why can we never see eye to eye, dear sparrow?”

“I abandoned your chosen lifestyle long ago.”

Genji leads the way as Elaina and him hasten from the room into the hall.

“I enjoyed our time together Elaina,” Rinnatta calls after her. “May we meet again soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mattaku sono josei to osoiari ugoite imasen: There’s no moving slow with that woman  
> Watashi wa karera ga issho ni aru koto ni tsuite warui kanji o motte imasu: I have a bad feeling about them being together.


	26. Reflection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translated foreign text at end

Genji leads her away from the baths after she has dressed. Elaina walks slowly behind him, her head hanging in shame. 

_You knew what he was doing,_ her mind chastises.

She keeps her mouth shut, not knowing what to say to Genji, and hoping he will be the one to break the silence.

Back outside where they met Rinnatta, he turns to her and sighs.

“Help me come up with a punishment for you, Gakusei,” Genji says.

“Punishment?” Elaina looks up at him sadly. “Gen- Sensei, I didn’t know!”

“ _Tobokemasu na_ , you may be ignorant to omnics but how could that not be interpreted as a sexual interaction?”

Elaina whimpers. “But you brought me here! You let me leave with him, and to the bath no less! You knew he was like that!”

“I know how he is, yes, but I trusted you.”

“Trusted me? What? As your student?” she mocks him.

His shoulders tense, hands curling to fists.

“Why would you introduce me as such?”

“Are you not my student?”

“Yes but-”

“This is a place of learning. A school of sorts, it seemed appropriate to address you as such to another master.”

“But Rinnatta himself guessed as to our relations, and you basically denied them. Why do you refuse to claim ownership over me?”

“Ownership?” The term clearly confuses him.

“It-” Elaina shifts. “Let me rephrase that, how can you expect me to believe that you want me to be celibate when you won’t claim me as your own?”

Genji hums in consideration.

“To be fair, you never told me no. You never said, ‘you are mine Gakusei and no one else's, give yourself to no other.’”

“ _Yoroshī_ Elaina,” Genji stands before her, then removes his mask. “I will say it now, I do not want you to be intimate with others.”

She looks up at him trying to read the expression he’s granted her. Frustration crinkles the skin around his eyes but she can tell he’s trying to be understanding.

“But…” Elaina looks away from him, slumping. “You will not be intimate with me yourself. We are both monks and never will we brush skin.”

“Hmph,” Genji returns his mask, clearly believing her to throw a fit.

“Wait!” Elaina grabs at his wrist. “I just don’t understand. You won’t tell me anything.”

“I have already told you that I wish to claim you,” Genji grumbles, mask successfully adhered. “You have chosen not to listen.”

Elaina can recall him saying that back in Sweden but, “It’s not that I don’t listen, it’s that I don’t believe you.”

“Excuse me?”

“I think you are lying. Rinnatta told me of your aversion to intimacy. You even said yourself that you have left his lifestyle behind you.”

“And if I told you that you are correct. What if I will not commit to intimacy with you?”

Elaina stares at him fearfully, letting go of his arm and cowering slightly, as if struck.

“Would you leave?”

With his face covered again, all she can infer of his countenance is from his body language: stiff, unyielding. Her hands come up to cover her face. 

_What do I say? Is he actually uncomfortable with intimacy? Rinnatta never finished his story with Zenyatta._

“Honestly, I don’t know. If you would not allow me to be close to you at all, couldn’t touch you, couldn’t sleep next to you, then… I would have to accept that we desire different things from our relationships and may not be compatible.” 

Elaina can feel tears begin to rise and she closes her eyes, hugging herself.

_Bars…_

The man comes to her mind unwarranted.

_Hold me. You always hold me when I cry, don’t you?_

Arms wrap around her and her eyes snap open.

“Forgive me Elaina,” Genji holds her close. Her fingers leave her face to grip the fabric of his coat tightly. “I commonly forget that I am not just your teacher… but your partner too. _Onegai_. I promise to try and be more… coddling.”

He leans back and wipes a thumb under her eye, pushing the tears out onto his hand.

“Please be patient with me. I am working on it. Here,” his hands leave her to completely remove his helmet, placing it on the snowy ground next to them.

His rough lips kiss her on the cheek, hand holding her neck. Elaina smiles, arm wrapping around his waist. Then he kisses her again, down her face to her neck.

Elaina giggles as he nuzzles into her.

“ _Sono kusuguru nodeshou ka_?”

Holding her tight to him, he continues nipping at her neck. 

“Hehehe!” her fingers tangle in his hair.

“Oh my,” a familiar voice sighs.

Genji takes his head from her to glare at Rinnatta, now clothed in his dark blue robe again.

“You have changed,” he says, then walks further into the shrine.

“Sensei?” Elaina asks, as they watch the monk’s retreating form.

“Hm?”

“Can I sleep next to you tonight?”

He turns back to her. His hand comes to her cheek, cold metal on her freshly bathed skin, and kisses her tenderly. She moans when his tongue peeks out to brush her lips.

“If you wish,” he tells her.

That evening, Genji and Elaina are granted a room close to the shrine. Elaina is especially relieved to discover that their room has a door, and isn’t even close to as cold as Genji’s room is back in the village.

“Sensei?” Elaina sits on the edge of the bed, watching Genji remove his blades, chest guard, and helmet.

“Yes?” His golden eyes flash over to her.

“We haven’t seen Zenyatta.” Elaina has been looking forward to meeting the omnic again. Especially after her unfinished conversation with Rinnatta.

“This is true.”

“Do you know where he is? Will we see him at all?”

“I do not know where he is. I did have plans to seek him out tomorrow, if you would like to accompany me?”

Elaina smiles, probably too pleased to be invited along, and nods.

Genji approaches the bed and sits next to her, bed rising slightly from his weight.

“Sensei?”

Genji rubs a hand over his face, then turns to her. From his expression, Elaina guesses he expects a vain request.

“Do you ever sleep out of your armor?”

Mild surprise shows on his face. “Not usually. I don’t actually tend to sleep laying down either.”

Elaina looks back at the bed. “Out of preference or…?”

“Habit mostly.”

She couldn’t recall seeing a bed in his room here in Nepal.

“Will you be uncomfortable sleeping here with me?”

“No, but you probably will be. I can’t imagine my body making for good snuggle material.” He chuckles at his comment, but Elaina catches the despondency in it.

“I have slept soundly on your lap on many occasions,” Elaina crosses her arms.

“Heh, I suppose that’s true.”

“Will you actually snuggle with me?” She leans close to him. 

“Hm…” Genji holds his chin in consideration while Elaina waits in anticipation. She looks at the space between them on the bed and scoots closer to him. Genji watches her in the corner of his eye. “May I ask something of you?”

“Hm? Sure.” Her hand comes to his arm, flowing downward towards his hand.

“Will you not explore please?”

A coy smile lights her face, knowing exactly what he means. “You mean… like leave the room? Explore the monastery?”

“No Elaina. Me, do not explore me, please.”

“I cannot touch you?” she clarifies. Her hand has seized his and rubs it affectionately between her own.

“Y-you may,” he seems to become more uneasy. “Just not intimately.”

“Sensei?” Elaina asks, still playing with his hand.

Genji rubs his face with his free hand again. “ _Don'na_?”

“Will you tell me why…” She chews her lip. “Why do you wait?”

Genji turns away from her and knowing him, it's to hide his expression, so she stands and moves in front of him. Still at the edge of the bed, she inserts herself between his legs, then grabs either side of his face with her hands.

“I am not angry, and am not asking you to be intimate with me now. I just want to know. Help me understand.”

“Was our last session not proof enough for you?” he growls and wrestles his head from her grip, taking her wrists in his cold grip.

“It’s…” Elaina’s mind works furiously to produce the answer. “Self-control?”

Genji says nothing and does not look at her, but his silence acts as affirmation.

“Well, we jumped in too fast that time. Why can’t we move slowly?” she offers lightheartedly.

“You may, I won’t. You are asking a man who has not seen water in years to drink slowly.”

Elaina’s eyes widen. “Are you that-”

“No,” he holds up a hand, releasing her arms. “I do not wish to speak of it any longer.”

“Genji please,” Elaina begs. Her hands twitch, wanting to hold him while knowing he does not wish to be held. “Maybe you could ask Rinnatta about-”

Genji looks up at her through his eyebrows. She’s seen that look before, always just before he disappears. 

Elaina backs away from him. She closes her eyes to hide from his menacing glare, takes a deep breath, and turns to the door. Her feet quickly slide back into her boots and she shoulders the coat back on.

_Maybe if I leave first he won’t feel the need to run._

“Why can’t you just let it go?” he asks as she reaches for the door handle. “Can’t you just lay here happily with me, not pushing me to a breaking point?”

“I’m sorry Sensei.” Elaina turns to him. “It was selfish of me.”

He has his arms crossed and clearly has not relaxed.

“Come back to me.”

Elaina winces. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

She reaches down and pulls the boots off again. Genji gets up and takes the coat off of her, then lifts her in his arms. 

The plush covers of the bed are thrown back and he climbs into the bed with her.

“Now sleep, Gakusei. I want no more questions out of you.”

“Yes, Sensei.” Elaina snuggles her face into the cybernetic muscle of his left pectoral, almost in his armpit, and sighs.

The next morning, Elaina wakes in seemingly the same position that she fell asleep in. Except, he’s gone.

She sits up to look about the room. Blades, helmet, and chest guards missing as well. The memory of his eyes, the way he looked at her last night plagues her.

The air outside the bed is frigid and it's keeping her from seeking out the truth of the matter. Luckily, she didn’t undress last night so she isn’t worried about slipping on cold clothes. 

Thoughts of the cold air remind her of the hot spring and the desire for a bath outweighs all others.

Taking a deep breath, she throws the covers back and quickly crosses the room to her coat and boots. 

Walking about the monastery, she’s too nervous to ask anyone for help or directions. Briefly wondering if any of them even spoke English, considering the monastery is in South Asia, she recalls Bars saying he understood most spoken languages. The dismissal of that fear would still not motivate her to reach out though. 

She walks away from the housing area and further into the shrine. The monks around, Tekhartha or not, peacefully move about their business, acting as though she is a ghost.

_What if Genji really did leave me here? How will I find my way back to Gibraltar?_

Her hands come up to cover her face, but they’re cold and she quickly takes them away. Looking down at them, their red-pink color reminds her of flushed cheeks.

“Are you okay, ma’am?” a monk with folded hands stands next to her.

“Oh…” Elaina sighs. “Thank you for your concern sir.”

The omnic giggles. “Ah, always with the gender assumptions.”

“Ah…!” Elaina recoils, embarrassed, and bows. “Please forgive me.”

“Quite alright. You look as though you need assistance?”

She rises from the bow. The omnic addressing her wears a beautiful white robe and golden bracelets about their wrists. They are not a Tekhartha she can see, with only eight dots adorning their head.

“I would very much like assistance, yes, thank you. I have lost my partner and I don’t know many others here.”

“Partner?” the omnic inquires. “The other human here I am guessing?”

Elaina is unsure if they are in fact speaking of Genji as she herself did not think him human upon seeing him for the first time.

“The ninja, yes?” the monk confirms, reading the uncertainty on her face.

Elaina smiles. _Can’t be more than one ninja, right?_ “Yes.”

“He has ascended.”

Elaina waves her head in confusion. “Ascended?”

“Yes,” the omnic confirms. “But I can bring you to Zenyatta? His master.”

“Oh!” Elaina momentarily forgets the cryptic way they regarded Genji’s state. “That would be most good.”

The monk holds a hand out, gesturing further into the shrine.

In their walk together to meet Zenyatta, Elaina goes back to what this monk told her earlier.

_Ascended? Like, he’s a Tekhartha? But he’s not an omnic. Can people become Tekhartha? Maybe they just mean plainly that he has traveled further up the mountain._

The two of them travel down a short set of stairs past a large elephant statue to an outcrop looking down the mountain.

Elaina stares perplexed at the floating form of Zenyatta.

The monk hovers about a meter off the ground, orbs glowing around him, in the same meditative position that Genji exhibits.

“Master,” the monk beside her calls out. “Pardon the intrusion.”

Each of Zenyatta’s legs lowers slowly into a standing position. The orbs stop glowing but continue hovering around him, somewhere between a halo and a necklace.

“Ah good day, Pawni.” Zenyatta turns to regard them, fingers steepled. “And…” he gaze moves to Elaina. “ _Koneko_.”

Elaina blushes fiercely. “K-Koneko?”

“Yes,” Zenyatta hums. “Genji has likened you to a cat; too curious, fast acting, but quick to hide if overwhelmed.”

_I guess that sounds like me, but calling me a kitten comes out kind of dirty._

“Will you sit here with me, Elaina?” he asks her.

“Um… Okay.” Elaina glances sideways at Pawni before moving to Zenyatta’s side.

Looking over the side of the short stone wall gives her vertigo so she looks up instead as she sits next to him. The snow has been cleared away from this area, but the ground still steals much of her warmth.

“Tell me of your worries, I can sense the chaos within you.” Zenyatta sits next to her, actually on the ground this time.

“Did Genji leave?” she gets straight to her first anxiety.

“No, but we will speak of him later. Tell me more of you, of what forms your spirit.”

Elaina takes a deep breath, “Can you be more specific?”

“I am meeting you for the first time, describe yourself.”

“Didn’t we meet in London?” she asks, confused.

“Yes. That was a prompt.”

“Oh, okay. I am a twenty-eight year old woman. From Seattle. I went to school to be a nurse. Um… I interned at Overwatch and am there now-” She perks.

“It’s okay. I know the state of your organization. Please continue.”

“Right,” her shoulders lower. “I am not sure there’s much else.”

“Which of these things you have told me guides you the most?”

Elaina thinks through the list of descriptors. “I suppose it would have to be my internship?”

“Hm… Think about it for me. Let me experience the memories with you.”

Elaina closes her eyes, reliving her time with Overwatch before the fall.

_Excitement. Wonder. Apprehension. Commitment. Uncertainty. Fear. Panic. Confusion. Isolation. Loneliness. Despair._

“Much of these feelings are negative,” Zenyatta’s voice pulls her out of her concentration.

“Oh, well yes.”

“Painful experiences tend to be the strongest motivators in a person’s life. Few are allowed positive reflections to guide them.”

Elaina nods, thinking about Genji’s strongest memories now too.

“Detail your time there for me, what is its core element?”

She swallows, the answer coming to her immediately. “Moira.”

“Moira. A person?”

“Mm-hm.”

“What was she to you? A friend? A teacher? Partner?”

A shiver travels up her spine at his last suggestion. “She was my mentor. Or boss.”

“She taught you in your internship?”

“Yes. At first I admired her, wished I could possess such a hyperactive mind. She could theorize solutions to any aspect of medical science! I figured that maybe if I studied under her, I could try and be just like her when I reached her age.

“But… I think the others saw her for what she was before I because after only a few months, I was the only intern left. Ignorantly, I figured it was because I was better than them, that Moira had chosen me and only me.”

“What was she truly?”

“A monster.”

Elaina picks at her sleeve cuff, feeling the rush of disappointment at Moira revealing her true nature all over again.

“Finish the story, then we will reflect,” he instructs.

“I went into medical science out of a desire to understand the mysteries of life. No sense of heroism to save anyone but… never wanting to learn at the expense of others. Moira’s perception of beings, people, was perverse. Everyone was expendable. Everyone is a stepping stone towards the truth. Even me.”

“One of your only meaningful relationships, ending in ruin.”

Elaina looks at him. “How…”  
“Desertion. Loneliness. They are your strongest adversaries. I can feel them clouding your mind. That is why I sent you to help your friend. Back in King’s Row.”

The King’s Row mission. Elaina covers her face with a hand, not caring if it freezes her. “Right… I’m sorry. I failed you then. Please forgive me and Lena.”

“Your concern is appreciated but let’s not talk about it now.”

Elaina sits in a stew of regret and self-loathing.

“Free your mind,” Zenyatta instructs, seeing her on the edge. “Do not let the dark clouds consume you.”

Tears sprout in her eyes. “I can’t. I’m not strong enough.”

She pulls her knees up and hides her face in them.

A warm hand comes to her shoulder. Genji’s hand.

Elaina looks back to find him, but no one is there.

A lap appears below her, arms around her. But no one is there.

She blinks confused. 

_Am I going crazy?_

These phantom sensations are so enticing, she has trouble keeping her eyes open.

“Ah... Intimacy.” Zenyatta hums. “It is very clear as to why Rinnatta dotes on you so.”

Elaina looks over at him, still seeking the answer to these sensations.

Zenyatta holds out one of his Tekhartha orbs, its golden cosmic energy tethered to her. He pushes the orb up and it floats over her shoulder.

Elaina sighs in complete bliss as she feels Bars’s forehead against hers, then nuzzle into her neck. The cold air on her wet cheeks feels like kisses from the wind. 

“Why don’t we go meet up with Genji?” Zenyatta rises ethereally.

Elaina smiles up at him. “I would like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tobokemasu na: Don't play dumb  
> Yoroshī: Okay  
> Onegai: I'm sorry  
> Sono kusuguru nodeshou ka?: Does that tickle?  
> Don'na?: What?  
> Koneko: little cat, kitten


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translated foreign text at end

Elaina follows Zenyatta to the other side of the shrine, an area she hasn’t been to yet. The north side has a dizzying symmetry to the south and Elaina almost gets turned around.

“He has gone above,” Zenyatta points up the mountain. “Are you okay with walking there with me?”

_Ah so ascension is just further up the mountain._

“Yeah sure,” Elaina consents. “Oh but um… I hate to ask but, is there any food up here?”

“Oh!” Zenyatta raises a finger. “Thank you for reminding me. Genji did not notify me of your coming arrival so I went to procure food for you yesterday and had Rinnatta greet you at the gate instead.”

“Oh thank you,” she smiles.

They take a small deture to a kitchen-like room. As omnics do not eat, the place is clearly seldom used. A very gray room, but with an impressive brick oven, it probably would accumulate dust if it wasn’t already covered in a thin layer of ice.

Zenyatta crosses to a cupboard and retrieves something. Coming back to her, he places a muffin in her hand. It’s cold and hard, but not frozen.

“With nuts, for vitality,” he says as she looks at it.

“Oh good, I need that.”

He laughs that strange bell like laugh that the monks here seem to share and directs them from the room again.

They make their way up the mountain, muffins crumbs dusting their path.

“Master?” Elaina asks, unsure if she should regard him as such.

“Yes?”

“You felt my desire for intimacy when you gave me harmony.”

“Yes.”

“What does Genji feel? When granted harmony?”

“His visions have evolved. Would you like to know about when he first came to me or what he experiences now?”

Elaina struggles to swallow the gummy bread, excited that Zenyatta has no quarrels sharing this information with her. “Um… Both?”

“Curious indeed. As a new student, he felt whole upon being granted harmony. A banishing of the mechanical parts of his body.”

This is not surprising to her, she probably could have guessed that.

“I have not granted him harmony this meeting, but on his last visit it granted him wind.”

“Wind?” Elaina jogs a little to reach Zenyatta’s side, breath puffing in the cold.

“Yes, wind.” The orbs around his neck spin methodically.

“I don’t understand,” she admits. 

“Not everyone’s sense of peace comes across easily. Many can comprehend things like love, and achievement, which are most common in harmony.”

Elaina sulks, slowing her pace. Just another aspect of Genji that she has failed to understand.

“You should ask him,” Zenyatta places a hand on her shoulder, “when we see him. Tell him of your harmony as well.”

Elaina grins at the monk. His advice is appropriate but she knows Genji does not like to speak about himself and is sure she won’t actually follow through with his guidance.

The snowy path transforms into stairs as they reach the highest level of the monastery. At the top of the stairs, a slate path leads the way to a large stone temple. On either side of the walkway, giant depictions of Tekhartha monks hover above stone platforms.

Unlike the other areas of the monastery, not a single person can be seen here.

“This place is special,” Elaina observes.

“Yes,” Zenyatta confirms. “It is a place meant for absolute tranquility. It is where we monks meet the Iris and take on the title of Tekhartha.”

“Is Genji a Tekhartha?”

Zenyatta huffs. “He has met the Iris, but refuses to grant his consciousness to it.”

“Does granting it access change you?”

“Yes. Genji has taught me that not everyone would like to feel the warm embrace of the Iris, as I had once believed. Difficult for me to understand, but a truth nonetheless.”

Elaina looks back at the hanging statues one more time before rising up a few more steps to the temple’s entrance.

A rumbling vibrates through the air, undoubtedly aggressive, it's a strangely familiar blend of growl and speech.

“Hm…” Zenyatta hums. He holds out a hand, stopping her. “Mayhaps…”

She watches the monk as he sits in apparent calculation.

“What was that?” Elaina asks him, leaning to the side a little, trying to see in through some antique stone windows.

“Soba,” Zenyatta tells her, then watches her carefully.

“Soba?” Elaina cocks her head in question.

“You have not met him then. This could be a good opportunity for you, but dangerous, if we are not careful.”

Elaina stiffens. “Opportunity for what?”

“That which you desire. To become closer to Genji.”

Now knowing the rumble has a direct connection to Genji, Elaina recognizes the noise. 

“His dragon?!”

“So you have met him.”

“I have seen it, in Hanamura, when he fought with his brother but… Interacted with it? Definitely not. It’s like his servant right?”

“It is no pet, but a spirit tied to his being. I believe it is what keeps him from joining our spiritual entity.”

“You mean the Iris? The Iris is a spirit?”

“A place or being beyond sight and comprehension. They are similar enough to both be considered spirits I think.”

She looks into the temple again. “You said it is dangerous?”

“Yes, I met Soba shortly after I met Genji. He is very… judgemental.”

“But… he’s not,” Elaina almost says real but instead chooses, “corporeal. Right?”

Zenyatta shakes his head. “Soba can cross the ethereal gap between worlds and commonly does so. He lashed out at me upon our first meeting.”

“Really?” she rubs her hands together nervously. “Maybe I shouldn’t…”

“If you are too afraid to present yourself, I will go ahead and reach out to him.”

Elaina stands with her thoughts.

_Should I go? What if Soba hurts me? Genji will blame himself. But if I can appeal to his spirit… Is it worth the risk?_

Zenyatta stands next to her, waiting for consent.

“Why don’t we meet in the middle?” he offers. “We will go in together.”

She exhales the breath she’d been holding in thought. “Oh, that sounds good.”

Zenyatta leads the way into the temple. Soba must feel their approach as he rumbles in discontent again. Elaina can’t make out his form through the windows of the antechamber, but his green body shines hazily through the glass.

Zenyatta takes the left stairs down and she follows. 

The inner expanse of the temple has two rooms on each side, not unlike the one they had just exited and another on the far end of the room. In its center, a large flat platform faces a chasm lit with small lamps. Hovering ten feet above the platform, Genji rests in meditation.

Unlike Zenyatta’s cross legged sitting, Genji meditates in a sort of standing position, one leg straight, the other with its foot on his inner thigh. Elaina only has a second to take in his form before it is obscured by the large scaly hide of Soba.

Its long body twists and writhes around an imperceptible sphere that is about Genji. Large clawed hands land audibly before her and Zenyatta, snarling face dripping with menace. Its head is roughly the size of a giraffe’s, but it’s neck continues wide like a snake down the expanse of its body. Long barbels flank the sides of its currently grimacing face and thick feather like eyebrows furrow with aggression. He possesses the same golden eyes as Genji she notices last.

“I don’t believe I have ever seen him with such a massive presence before," Zenyatta comments calmly.

Elaina, feeling the opposite of calm, hides behind the monk’s back. “What do we do?”

Zenyatta steps aside, presenting Elaina to the beast.

“Go to him,” he pushes her by the small of her back.

“But!” Elaina looks back at him then forward to the face of the dragon. She locks eyes with it and it snaps in front of her.

Elaina whimpers and cowers before it.

“Do not waver,” Zenyatta instructs her. “As you are testing Genji’s conviction in you, the spirit will also test your credence in him.”

_Is that what I’m doing? Testing Genji’s trust in me?_

An eye cracks open to look at the spirit again. It seems to have calmed slightly, now staring her down disparagingly.

“S-Soba,” she calls to it.

The dragon moves minisculely at the mention of its name.

_Does it speak English? It’s clearly a Japanese dragon in nature. Should she speak to it in Japanese?_

Trying desperately to recall some of the Japanese she’s learned from Genji and on their plane flight to Japan, “ _Watashi… nonamaeha Elaina… desu_.”

The dragon looks surprised.

“Interesting strategy,” she hears Zenyatta comment.

“Genji-” Elaina points, “daisuki.”

Never had she fully admitted her love for Genji to him before and can feel her face heat up.

_Hopefully in his current state, he can’t hear me._

Soba doesn’t react, so she holds a hand out to him. The dragon is out of reach though, so she takes a few careful steps toward him, watching his eyes.

The eyes shine, its brows furrowing slightly. Elaina stops.

“Please,” she begs. “O-Onegaishimasu.”

The dragon blinks, then purrs. It leans forward to her hand, allowing access. 

Elaina huffs a nervous laugh, hand on its half transparent flesh. The dragon seems to shift in and out of existence, sometimes hard as a stone, but also smooth and breakable like the surface of water. 

She reaches up in curiosity to its frilly eyebrow. Its eyes close peacefully as she investigates the rest of its muzzle.

After a few moments of petting, the dragon wraps its neck around her, pulling her to its center. Elaina gasps but allows the movement as the gesture doesn’t seem hostile.

Looking up, she can almost reach Genji. 

Just as she is about to, he lowers and lands next to her. Soba presents himself before his host.

“ _Anata wa watashi no nochi ni sagashite imashita ka_?” Genji holds the dragon affectionately under the jaw. “ _Arigatō_.”

The dragon rumbles consent. Genji turns and sees Elaina beside him. 

“Eh?” He looks from her to Soba. “ _Kanojo no yō ni, anata nodesu ka?_ ”

Soba leaves his grip and comes to Elaina who smiles at him.

“ _Watashi mo._ ” Genji holds a hand out for Elaina to take. “Forgive me for leaving you alone this morning.”

Elaina takes his hand and he pulls her against him. She pouts, unwilling to grant him forgiveness.

“I had a need,” he explains. “To sit. And think. To banish some unnecessary thoughts.”

Elaina nods. “Will you wake me next time?”

“Hm?”

“If you need to leave. Will you tell me?”

Genji doesn’t respond. The dragon around them begins to fade, less tangible with each passing second.

“May I see your face?” she asks shyly.

“Tashikani,” he lets her go and removes his helmet.

“Thank you,” she reaches up to hold his cheek.

“I will tell you,” he leans into her touch, forehead against hers. “Next time.”

She takes a deep breath, trying to take in his scent.

Dissatisfied, she moves to his neck, nose just under his ear at the hairline. “Promise?”

“Hai, I promise.”

“Ready to go?” Genji asks her.

It was the day after her meeting with Soba and Genji had declared their departure. He had already contacted the Watchpoint, and Lena would be picking them up in the agents’ jet at the foot of the mountain.

“Yes, Sensei,” Elaina smiles at him.

“Thank you for having us, master,” Genji turns to Zenyatta. “And for your guidance, as always.”

“Walk in harmony, my student,” Zenyatta bows to him.

Elaina’s gaze moves from Zenyatta to the other monk at his side. “And I will thank you, Rinnatta,” she bows. “May life grant me the opportunity to learn from you again.”

Genji grumbles at her side.

“Looks like we will have to learn how short your leash is before that time comes,” Rinnatta jests.

She rises from the bow chuckling and leans toward the monk. “I’m hoping the collar’s a little too tight.”

“ _Awaya!_ ” Genji turns and walks away from the group.

“Don’t push him too hard,” Zenyatta warns. “He may be more receptive now, but too much stimulation and he will retract.”

After their journey to the sanctum yesterday, Elaina parted ways with Genji and Zenyatta, Genji requesting a session of meditation alone with his master, that she was happy to comply with. She had still wanted that bath and luckily got to take it alone this time.

To her elated surprise, Genji’s seminar with Zenyatta had been on intimacy, with a focus on Elaina’s sense of harmony.

Genji would not detail the lesson to Elaina, but he is now much more accepting of her advances, even insisting last night to sleep together again.

“Understood, Master,” Elaina bows to him too.

“Let’s go Gakusei,” Genji calls from the entrance to the village.

“Coming!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watashi… nonamaeha Elaina… desu: My name is Elaina  
> Genji daisuki: I love Genji  
> Onegaishimasu: Please  
> Anata wa watashi no nochi ni sagashite imashita ka?: Were you watching over me?  
> Arigatō: thank you  
> Kanojo no yō ni, anata nodesu ka?: Like her, do you?  
> Watashi mo: Me too  
> Awaya!: Ugh!


	28. Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translated foreign text at end

“We’re back!” Lena exclaims, hands in the air. She trots away from the jet pilot’s seat and stretches. “What were you guys doing there anyways?”

Elaina looks to Genji for the answer.

“We were-” he begins.

“Did you elope?!” Lena jumps up and down then blinks to Elaina’s side, grabbing her right hand.

“ _Naze kono yō ni ippantekina gensō ga arimasu ka?_ ” Genji shrugs, then motions to Elaina. “ _Anata wa kanojo no kami ni kanzashi o mite imasu ka?_ ”

Looking skeptically at Elaina’s ringless hand, Lena asks, “What does that mean?”

Genji does not answer but picks up Elaina without asking, clearly meaning to escape quickly.

“Wait!” Lena reaches for them as Genji sprints from the aircraft’s open hanger. “What did he say Elaina?”

Genji chuckles as he sprints through the compound, weaving between surprised faces and ignoring the cursing behind him.

“Hehe, where are we going Sensei?” Elaina holds him around the neck while bouncing in his arms.

He slows and looks down at her. “I actually didn’t have a destination. Where should we go?”

“Hm... “ Elaina thinks.

_Probably shouldn’t offer a bedroom but maybe…_

“Why don’t we go see if Angela and the others have returned?” he suggests before she can decide for herself.

“Ookey.”

“Don’t want to see our _nakama_?” he picks up on her discontent.

“Of course I do. Lead the way.” She motions towards the war room.

“Don’t want to walk yourself?” He leans down, her nose centimeters from his mask. “When did I let you become so lethargic, Gakusei?”

“You picked me up! Plus I like when you hold me.”

“ _E e, e_ … If we walk in like this, we’ll get more questions about our marital status you know.” Despite this claim, he makes progress towards Winston’s office.

“I’m sorry,” Elaina looks down. “Does it bother you?”

“I just don’t like people trying to make my decisions for me.”

“I wouldn’t take it so seriously,” Elaina says. “I think it’s just teasing.” She was going to mention Rinnatta’s comment at their meeting but thinks better of it.

He doesn’t respond, just keeps moving forward.

“Sensei?”

“Hm?”

“Put me down please.”

He lowers her to the ground, feet first.

Entering the war room, Elaina can see Winston’s silhouette at his computer in the office above.

“Agents Elaina and Genji have arrived, Winston,” the Watchpoint’s AI Athena tells him.

“Haha, is that so?” he gruffs, then leans over to look down. The chair squeaks and he jumps on the tire swing above before landing on the floor before them. “Welcome home!”

Elaina runs to him and wraps her arms around his thick neck. “Good to be back! Thank you for your patience with me.”

“Not a problem." Winston and her part. “Thank you for reaching out to Reinhardt. I didn’t know Torbjorn had sabotaged his beacon.”

“Oh so they’ve returned before us?”

“Just today actually. Poor Lena had to make two trips.”

Elaina grimaces. “Oh dang. Oh and you can thank Genji for the new agents, I didn’t do anything.” She rubs her foot into the ground with her hands behind her back.

“Nonsense, you are helping by making Genji a better Agent,” Winston smiles at her.

“What?” Elaina looks to Genji, painfully aware that he hasn’t spoken yet. “H-he’s my Sen- teacher, I learn from him.”

Winston laughs, hand on his stomach. “Sure but you’ve given him something to fight for.”

Elaina’s mind works furiously trying to calculate a way to change the subject without it being weird. She closes her eyes to focus more.

“ _Un_ , she’s my _shinkeishitsuna koneko_ _._ ” Genji gently takes her head and pulls it into his neck.

Elaina’s mind screams in elation.

_Sensei admitting his fondness for me, absolutely, in front of others? And claiming ownership? I may have to start offering prayer to the Iris._

Her cheeks are on fire and the embarrassment almost motivates her to push off of him.

“Hey!” Lena dashes into the room, only now catching up. The door almost closes but reopens upon Brigette entering the room too, Reinhardt behind her.

Genji lets go of her and Elaina takes a few steps away, trying to calm her mind enough to interact normally.

“You were right Genji! We did arrive at about the same time!” Brigette goes to his side.

“Heh, you’ll find I excel at predictions.” He stands proudly.

“Arrogant! As always!” Reinhardt exclaims jovially. 

“So where did you guys go?” Brigette asks Genji but also looks over to Elaina, including her in the conversation.

“I took Elaina to Nepal,” Genji says.

“They eloped!” Lena yells out, hands in the air.

Brigette gasps.

“Lena,” Elaina reprimands, “we did not. Genji introduced me to his Master, Zenyatta, and taught me about the ideologies of the Shambali.”

“Oh,” Lena’s arms lower. “That… Sounds super cool!” Her arms rise again.

Elaina sighs.

“I was really looking forward to having a party though… Kinda already planned it out,” Lena admits.

“Party?!” Reinhardt exclaims, leaning forward.

“Oh gosh,” Brigette rolls her eyes. “You find any excuse to drink beer.”

“Let’s have a welcoming party,” Winston suggests. “I need to organize the agents in the logs, and write a complete new one for Brigette, so… There won’t be any missions for about a week.”

“Woo!” Lena calls out, jumping up and down.

“How about…?” Genji gathers the group’s attention. “A costume party?”

“Genji you read my mind!” Lena shouts, blinking up in front of him. “Do you remember the last party we had here at the watchpoint?”

“A Halloween party!” Reinhardt answers her question.

“Yeah! I mean it’s nowhere near Halloween but who needs a holiday to dress up right?” Lena says.

“I mean,” Elaina’s eyebrows furrow. “Don’t you guys dress up like every other day in your hero costumes?”

“It is not a costume!” Reinhardt insists. “It is armor.”

Elaina holds her hands up conceding. “Flashy armor,” she says under her breath.

“I gotta get started right away,” Lena says. “And tell Emily too!”

Her chrono-accelerator shines bright and streaks across the room out the door.

“I need to ready as well,” Genji says, then looks down at Elaina. “You may not see me for a few days, _kanojo_ _.”_

Elaina immediately sulks. The others continue the conversation with plans for the coming occasion.

“Ah now don’t be like that,” Genji pulls her to him. “We’ve spent much time together.”

“I know,” Elaina says sadly.

“See you for Obon Gakusei,” he removes the lower half of his mask and kisses her on the forehead before moving from the room.

Five days later, Elaina still has not seen Genji. Unable to resist, she asks Angela during a research session, who admits to not seeing him either.

“Genji puts a lot of work into his costumes,” she tells Elaina. “Last party he dressed as the Baihu spirit.”

“Oh,” Elaina responds, interested. “What’s that?”

“I have a picture,” Angela pulls out her phone and scrolls through it. After a bit of grumbling she turns the phone towards Elaina for her to see.

“That’s Genji? What is he? A tiger?” The bright light of the phone reflects in her eyes.

“Hehehe, yep. He even commissioned a new blade for the costume.”

“Wow. Hey,” Elaina looks up from the phone. “What are you dressing up as?”

“Oh I didn’t have any time to come up with something new so I’m going as a witch again. I’m sure to take heat from it.”

“Better than not dressing up at all,” Elaina says, trying to encourage her. “Also probably way better than my costume, at least you made yours.”

“Well… I assembled it. Pretty sure everyone here just buys their costumes.”

“Not true! I heard Emily is a master seamstress,” Elaina tells her.

Angela sighs, “Should’ve asked her to help. Not like Lena would share, though.”

Six thirty pm. Elaina sits in her room, trying to amp herself up to meet the others in the movie room where festivities are being held.

She holds out her costume, a calico cat kigurumi. Since Genji, and now others, have regarded her as a feline, she wanted to dress the part. However, most cat costumes online are a little bit too risque for a party at the office, so she decided to just buy a cute onesie.

Elaina tries to wear the suit over a tank top and shorts but it’s just too hot! Rather being comfortable than sweaty, she ultimately decides to just wear it over her underwear, hoping this choice doesn’t backfire.

_No way we would play a strip game right?_

Creeping along the hall, she puts an ear up to Genji’s door.

Not a sound can be heard.

_Must already be at the party._

“Aw Elaina!” Lena calls to her as she enters the large communal room next to the theatre. “You look so cute!”

“Thanks Lena,” Elaina smiles. “You do too! I love the shorts!”

“Imma wisp!” She does a little twirl. “Now you see me…” She disappears. “Now you don’t!” 

Elaina jumps at the voice behind her, then laughs. “Very convincing!”

Lena giggles proudly. “Come on, let’s join the others!”

Everyone else is crowded around a long banquet table. Emily is fittingly dressed as a chef and just put down a plate piled with grilled cheese wedges.

Slinking over to their placement, Elaina snags one of the triangles, immediately taking a bite and savoring the three cheeses.

“Oh!” A silver knight next to her perks up at her arrival. “I uh…”

The knight grips it’s shoulder, seemingly abashed.

“Who’s in there?” Eliana reaches up to lift the visor.

“It’s me,” Brigette says upon her face showing.

“Oh lovely,” Elaina smiles at her red cheeks. “You’re so shiny.”

“Hehe, yeah, me and Reinhardt thought it might be fun to do some role reversal.” 

Elaina raises her eyebrows, dirty thoughts immediately infecting her mind. “A-ah…” she stammers. Looking away before her face betrays her, she looks over to the imposing figure of Reinhardt who is in a very comically tight squire’s outfit.

Next to him is Angela. Although she said she’s worn the witch costume before, it is a fantastic outfit and Elaina hasn’t yet seen it in person.

“What’s in your grimoire?” Elaina asks her, interrupting her and Reinhardt’s chat to avoid looking at Brigette again.

Angela smirks. “Spells, curses, and summonings. Cast your life aside and I will resurrect you, stronger and under my own control!” 

A perfect witch-like kackle escapes her and Elaina recoils.

“Gosh I didn’t know this party was supposed to be scary… Maybe I shouldn't be dressed like this.” She looks down at herself.

“No,” Brigette reassures her. “I love cats! Yours is my favorite costume here.”

“Thanks Brigette! Where’s Winston? Do you know?”

“Oh yeah,” she looks to the door of the theatre room. “He said he was going to find that one movie, ‘Harvest at Midnight.’”

“‘Harvest at Midnight?’”

“Mm-hm, you know, the one with the bounty hunter who ends up being the last line of defense for Retlon Kingdom from a horde of werewolves?”

Elaina’s eyebrows furrow. “I haven’t seen that one… Is it scary?”

“Are you afraid of werewolves?”

“Uh, I don’t think so.”

“Then no.”

“Oh good.” Elaina takes surveillance of the banquet table again. In addition to food, it also offers a variety of drinks. “Do you drink, Brigette?”

Brigette looks down the table too. “Like alcohol?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’m usually the designated driver, so to speak, so not usually.” She shrugs in Reinhardt’s general direction.

“Wanna take a shot with me?”

Brigette smiles at her.

“I wanna a shot!” Lena blinks over to their side. “Everyone, get in here!”

Angela, Reinhardt and Emily come over to share in the libations. 

“Options are: Vodka, Bourbon, and Tequila,” Angela looks at each bottle carefully. “Or I could make you a mixed drink if-”

“No way!” Lena cuts her off. “It’s a ceremony! Shots!”

Angela huffs. “Alright, then I will use Vodka.”

“Winston!” Emily calls into the dark room. “Come out here!”

“Huh?” His faint voice calls. “What’s going on?”

From the shadows of the theatre, sharp teeth in his mouth shine first, his yellow eyes, and finally his dark brown hairy form. 

Elaina backs up into the table accidently. “Good lord!”

“Ahahaha!” Winston laughs at her reaction.

“So this is supposed to be a scary party!” she exclaims. “You are the most real werewolf I have ever seen.”

“Thank you!” He stands up on his back legs proudly displaying his full height.

A touch on Elaina’s shoulder brings her attention. “You’re sure you’ll be able to handle the movie?” Brigette asks her with a concerned look.

Taking a deep breath, “You know, I may need to work myself up to it.” Elaina looks her dead in the eye. “With liquor.”

The metal glove leaves her shoulder to stifle Brigette’s giggle.

“Elaina?”

“Yes?” She turns to regard the voice.

“Will you go get me some more shot glasses out of the pantry?” Angela asks her and points to a nearby door.

“Sure,” Elaina moves towards the door. “Where are they?”

“Just in, and to the left.”

Opening the door, she finds it strange that the light is off.

_Wasn’t Emily running in and out of here?_

Her hand reaches off to the left, looking for the light switch.

A dark figure squats atop the counter lining the wall. 

Sinister bright red lights decorate its body. Her eyes move from its feet up to its face. A white mask, red horns on forehead and jaw, and huge curved teeth hover inches from her nose in the darkness.

Elaina screams, the sound piercing the air.

The demon in the pantry hops down before she can escape and pulls her deeper into the room, slamming the door behind her.

Drishware clinks against each other as it pins her up against one of the metal racks with its body. “ _Futatabi himeiwoageru to, anata wa basse raremasu_ _._ ”

The breath catches in her throat. “S-sensei?”

“Īe, I am a dark spirit, here to claim your body.”

She perks up at that. “Really?”

Her eyes close to savor the feeling of his body against hers. She hums in satisfaction and runs a hand over his plated stomach, starving for his continued touch.

“Going to let me take your life so easily?” It’s still very dark, but she can feel him press his blade against her throat.

“I do have nine lives you know.”

He snorts, breaking character and returning the blade to his back. “Hah! Dammit Gakusei, why’d you have to dress like a cat?”

“Aw,” she pouts. “You don’t like it?”

“On the contrary, I think I like it too much,” he whispers in her ear.

His speech travels in her ear, sparking lightning through her body, the spot between her legs quivering as the shock passes it by.

“It’s rude to tease me Sensei,” she breathes.

“Maybe I’m trying to teach you a lesson.”

Elaina moans. Her fingers travel under the mask to touch his scarred lips.

“ _Kuru,_ ” he mutters against her fingertips. “Let’s rejoin the others.”

“Angela was right,” Elaina beholds Genji out in the light. His costume is absolutely stunning. His icon green color has been replaced with red, and spikes now decorate his shoulders, arms and legs. This time he wears loose black pants with an oversized belt buckle featuring a Japanese character on it. Like the Baihu outfit Angela had shown her yesterday, Genji had a new blade commissioned as well. “Is that Ryu Ichimonji?”

“No,” he pulls out the blade, then looks at her with a start. “How did you know the name of my blade?”

She looks away blushing. “I uh… Memorized the characters on the sheath and looked it up.”

An awkward silence passes.

“Why didn’t you just ask, Gakusei?”

She grimaces. “Um, I know you don’t like to talk about yourself so…”

Genji’s head lulls back in thought. “ _Sōdesu ka?_ ”

“Did you name this blade too?” she tries to derail his current train of thought.

“Hm?” His head snaps back. “No, I didn’t.”

“But I can see the… Kanji?” she guesses the character type.

“Yes, the bladesmith dubbed them Muramasa and Masamune respectively.”

The two look down at the exposed odachi. It’s a black and red blade, very cruel looking, with a red eye in the handle.

“While you were showing off over there, you missed the shot!” Lena calls out to them as they still stand near the pantry door.

“Heh, are we drinking already? What’s the game?” Genji sheaths the blade and pulls Elaina by the hand over to the table.

“Game?” Elaina inquires, holding the hood of her kigurumi up.

“Oh right!” Reinhardt belows. “What movie are we watching this time?”

“It’s ‘Harvest at Midnight,’ and I have already come up with the game,” he informs them. The shot glass in his hand is barely visible between his huge fingers. Opening his mouth wide, he literally throws the alcohol into the teeth lined gaping hole. “Bang.”

“Bang?” Angela asks dumbfounded.

“Winston! Now we are all behind a shot! Genji and Elaina by two!” Lena stomps her foot.

“Yeah, bang,” he continues, ignoring Lena. “If you’ve seen ‘Harvest at Midnight,’ then you’ll know how much Dartmoth says his iconic line, Bang.”

“Another cowboy movie?” Genji sighs.

“It’s not a cowboy movie,” Brigette says, apparently being the only other one to have seen this film. “Dartmoth is a bounty hunter.”

“What’s your poison honey?” Angela asks to her left.

“I’ll take vodka, thank you.”

“Genji?” Angela turns to him next.

“You know I drink anything, Angela.” She also pours him vodka. “What’s with that look Gakusei?”

Elaina quickly turns away from him.

“Ah ah,” he grabs her chin, mask in her face. “Can’t hide your judgement from me.”

“That’s not fair! You’re always wearing a mask.”

“You’ve missed an opportunity to wear one yourself.”

“Shit,” she curses. 

“He’s going to have to take it off to drink,” Angela nudges her side, coming to her defense.

Elaina heartens with a gasp, “You’re right!”

Both her and Angela wait expectantly as Genji takes the liquor glass in his hand. Pushing up his mask reveals a smug face, his eyes looking down his nose. “Kanpei.”

“Prost,” Angela clinks glasses with the one in Elaina’s hand. Smiling, Elaina downs the fiery liquid and shudders.

After successfully catching up with the shot score, the team moves into the theatre room to begin the "game."

The selection screen of the movie has a cheesy cinematic where the bounty hunter shoots a werewolf right between the eyes.

"Bang," the man on the screen says, breaking the fourth wall.

"Does that count?!" Lena yells. She's taken one of the chairs in the front row, squished between Winston and Emily.

"I don't see why it wouldn't!" Reinhardt bellows, practically spilling his beer in the rush to leave his seat next to Brigette and Angela in row two. "I'll pour the round!"

Brigette sighs and gets up to follow. 

"We just sat down," Elaina says to Genji next to her in the third row. He shrugs and the two of them return to the banquet table with the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naze kono yō ni ippantekina gensō ga arimasu ka?: Why is this such a common fantasy?  
> Anata wa kanojo no kami ni kanzashi o mite imasu ka?: Do you see a kanzashi in her hair?  
> nakama: comrades, friends  
> E e, e: yeah, yeah  
> Un: yep  
> shinkeishitsuna koneko: nervous kitten  
> kanojo: sweetheart  
> Obon: Japanese Buddist holiday to honor spirits  
> Futatabi himeiwoageru to, anata wa basse raremasu: Scream again, and I will punish you  
> Kuru: Come  
> Sōdesu ka?: Is that so?


	29. Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translated foreign text at end

_Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang._

“Sensei…” Elaina shifts on his lap. “I can feel you.”

They're an hour and a half deep into the movie that turns out to be quite engaging. The whole group, fueled by alcohol, are now cheeky enough to be constantly yelling at the movie screen. It's allowed a degree of privacy sitting in the back row.   
Genji holds her tighter and chuckles, hot breath on her ear. “Is it bothering you?”

“A-ah… No.” She smiles to herself. “I just… can only take so much of your teasing. I have a breaking point too.”

The rising pressure under her, placed so preciscely, makes her shudder in hopeless anticipation.

“How can…”

“Hm?” His bright white teeth shine in the darkness next to her, mask balancing atop his head.

“Are you not armored?” Turning around, she touches his chest and abdomen for confirmation.

“Well, when I got this armor commissioned, I didn’t think I would actually encounter combat in it. The metal is not military grade and I am only armored where you can see.”

Elaina’s heart beats faster with his explanation, the increased blood flow making her ache more and loosening her usually careful speech. 

“So,” she breathes, “what do you look like under here then?”

Her fingers slide along the edge of his pants till they reach the belt buckle.

Genji nips at her earlobe affectionately. “ _Iu koto wa arimasen_. I am much more interested in if you’re wearing anything under this.”

The zipper whistles down her front, exposing her bare skin and bra.

“Hey!” she whispers harshly, hand snapping up to close the now open seam. “No fair!”

“ _Watashi wa anata no hada e no kenri o motte inai nodesu ka?_ ”

Elaina grumbles at his lewd smile. “Unless you're ready to commit?”

His face falls into speculation. “I would not take you while we are both inebriated. At least not the first time.”

Her eyes narrow at him. “Bang.”

Genji looks up from his speculation. “Don'na?”

“Bang. Take another shot, let it charge you,” she whispers at his ear, “and come to me again, claiming you can control yourself around me.”

“Is that a challenge?” he reaches up and removes the hand denying his access to her. Leaning in, he nips at the swell of a breast, a small amount of saliva sticking to her skin. “You think your Sensei can’t hold his liquor?”

Elaina squirms in his grip, breathing deeply through her nose to prevent moaning and now seriously trying to free herself from him.

“ _Nigeba wa arimasen,_ ” he moves up from her chest to her lips.

He plays at the entrance to her mouth with his tongue, not entering while also not allowing her access.

Thinking he’s distracted, she wiggles her fingers into the top of his pants on either side of the buckle. Just as her fingertips reach hot skin-

“Mm-” Genji quickly secures both of her hands in his. “Sneaky.”

“Just practicing my ninja skills. Shouldn’t you be proud?”

“Hah! Yoroshī, and as your Sensei, I can tell you that you have a long way to go.”

“Well let me practice more.”

“Genji!” Lena calls to him from across the room, waving her hand. “Come over here!”

Elaina looks from her to Genji then at the projector screen.

_When did the movie end?_

“ _Nandesuka?_ ”

“It’s time!” she calls in a singsong voice then gives a twirl.

“Ah! Yes!” he gets up from the theatre chair, Elaina sliding off his lap.

“Hmph!” Elaina pouts after being deposited on the floor.

“Oh come on Gakusei,” he zips her up. “You won’t be disappointed.”

She grumbles, not convinced, and distracted by the bulge of his pants. “Well… what is it?”

“A competition of sorts.” Genji holds a hand out to her slumped from on the ground.

“In which I am guessing you are superior?” she scoffs, crossing her arms.

He squats in front of her and pulls his mask back down, looking extra menacing with the eye of his blade peaking over his shoulder. “Come with me and find out.”

Elaina looks him up and down. “No thanks, don’t really need to get more worked up.”

_I'm already a fucking water park._

“Ah, _gomen_ , that wasn’t a request.” Stuffing his hands under her arms, he throws her over his shoulder, her body just missing the spikes, and promptly crosses the room.

Instead of struggling she just sighs, accepting defeat.

“Do you know how to dance Elaina?” Lena asks her energetically, still bouncing on her feet as Genji sets her down next to the group.

“Dance?”

“Yeah! Our parties here at the office have always escalated into a dancing competition!”

Looking around the group, she sees each person getting amped up to move. Winston is at the sound system, seemingly putting a playlist together. It shouldn't be surprising given how excentric they all are.

“Oi!” Genji moves from her side over to Winston.

“Well, well?” Lena still bounces waiting for her answer.

“Oh um, I'm not sure. I've only danced once. So maybe?”

“What does that mean? You've only danced professionally once? Or in front of others?”

Elaina rubs the back of her neck. “No I mean… I don’t think I’ll participate.”

_Wouldn’t have even come over if-_

“Can we all agree that Genji should go last? He’s trying to bully me into letting him go first,” Winston shouts to the group.

“You can’t go first!” Lena runs from her side to assist Winston.

“ _Nazena no?_ ” Genji exasperates. “Let me energize the group!”

“We’ll all look like bears fresh out of hibernation after you!” Reinhardt chimes in.

“What kind of dancing do you do?” a soft voice asks Elaina.

“Huh?” she looks over.

Echo stands, or hovers, next to her, speaking quietly. “I do believe we are not supposed to say but… Maybe I could assist you? As your partner?"

Elaina never saw her enter. How long has she been here?

“How did you know I needed a partner?” Elaina asks astounded.

Echo shrugs. “Usually when one only knows a single form of dance, it was out of necessity. At an event perhaps, where many dance together.”

Elaina had forgotten how deductive and observant omnics are, or… Is Echo an omnic?

_Definitely not about to ask._

“It’s a Salsa dance,” Elaina admits to her.

“Ah! That sounds lovely.” Echo smiles warmly at her. “Do you know just the fundamentals, or only one dance in particular?”

“I was taught the fundamentals but… I did only perform one dance so it’s really the only one I would be confident doing.” Elaina fidgets. “Kind of unrealistic for me to ask you to know some random dance, but thank you for offering.”

“Don’t be silly, do you know who I am?”

“Uh…” Elaina rubs her nose absently. “I wouldn’t say that I do.”

The angelic robot giggles like a bell. “A master of imitation some would say. You don’t happen to have video footage of your dance would you?”

A wide smile breaks on Elaina’s face. “I could definitely find some!”

While the others debate over turn order and song choices, Elaina shows Echo her dance on her mobile device without anyone noticing.

“Would you like me to take the form of that man with you?” Echo asks after watching the video a second time.

“I- Wait, you mean, would I like you to be dancing in his stead?”

“No, no, it's obvious that I will be doing that. I mean,” Echo’s body shakes, like a dog upon leaving the water, and suddenly she is Josue.

“Ah!” Elaina covers the fake Josue’s face with her hands.

Sure that someone heard her yelp, she looks over to the group, but luckily they’re all still distracted.

Echo’s body ripples and she’s herself again. “I’m sorry.”

“No that’s okay. Um… Actually,” Elaina gets a devious grin on her face. “Can you mimic Genji?”

“Yes, of course.” Her body begins to ripple again.

“No not now! He’ll notice.”

Echo returns to her original shape. “Oh a surprise?!” She claps her hands together with childish excitement.

“Yes,” Elaina confirms. “Oh but can you mock his regular form? I would rather not be dancing with the devil.”

“The devil? Japanese oni are more akin to demons than the devil himself.”

“Well either way.”

Echo nods.

“Alright,” Elaina tries to get herself amped up by bouncing around on her feet. “I need another drink.”

The first to perform is a duet.

Reinhardt and Brigette perform a Ballroom Waltz. It offers very simple movement but elegant. It seems Elaina isn’t the only one who finds it rather humorous with Reinhardt in ill-fitting clothes as the group giggles when one of the buttons flies from his chest.

Angela is next. She has donned the valkyrie suit for the dance and uses it to fly and swing around the room in what looks similar to ballet.

Winston’s dance isn’t much at all. It’s just a simple hip swing and foot twist. Eventually everyone joins him on the makeshift stage until his song finishes.

“You seem nervous,” Genji comments after the group leaves the floor.

“Eh… Well,” Elaina considers taking another shot of liquid encouragement. 

“Gonna give me a nice performance?”

“Hmph!” Elaina turns away from him with her arms crossed, still salty after he broke their intimacy short earlier.

Genji shrugs. “I’ll be watching closely.”

A cunning smile blooms from her face and she’s grateful he can’t see it. “Alright… but watch with your mask off, okay?”

He cocks his head. “Dancing just for me, huh?” He pinches her butt.

Elaina squeaks and turns to slap his hand away. “I will if I can see your face.”

“Hm…” His hand holds the chin of his mask. “ _Wakata_.”

Lena is up next, she tries to pull Emily up with her but fails. She performs a super old fashion flapper girl dance. Elaina can recall it coming back into style briefly about ten years ago. It’s very energetic and quite impressive actually.

“Your turn Elaina,” Winston tells her, fingering the sound system. She shifts nervously. “Unless you’d like to go after Genji?”

“Nope!” Elaina stands and walks out to the stage, her cat kigurumi hanging loosely around her. Taking a deep breath, she holds an arm out to the right side of the stage. All eyes turn that way, including Genji’s.

A blue light shines in the doorway. The light materializes into Genji. A perfect synthetic copy of his body, and not only visually, but in the way he moves too.

“ _Nani?!_ ” Genji calls from somewhere in front of Elaina. It takes everything she’s got to not burst out laughing. 

No one else has such restrictions and they laugh openly at his exclamation.

Genji’s Echo comes up to her and takes the offered hand, then pulls her close. “ _Watashiwomitete kudasai._ ”

Elaina’s jaw falls open at his perfect speech, giggling a little into her hand.

“Oi!” The real Genji calls.

The music starts and they begin to move. Although severely out of practice, Echo keeps her in line with rough direction. After twenty seconds of moving, Elaina starts to feel weightless, moving faster, Echo Genji keeping pace. 

Lena and Brigette are screaming in excitement over the music, fueling her excitement even more. 

She moves like water against her partner, swimming in the ecstasy of physical exertion and sexual desire. 

The song ends and Elaina pulls in huge lungfuls of air. She turns to Echo, who still mimics Genji, and smiles widely. “Thank you.”

A blue hand comes up to the phantom mask and removes it. Beneath it, Genji’s human face regards her sensually. “ _Anata no tame ni nandemo, watashi no ai._ ”

The phantom leans in and kisses her.

“AHHH!” Elaina looks over and sees Genji howling with his head between his hands, everyone laughing at him.

Reinhardt pats him on the back. “Ah my friend! Do not worry, it’s not real.”

Echo vibrates and resumes her standard form, the group now surrounding the duo.

“Elaina, that was amazing!” Emily high fives her.

“Very impressive! That style of dancing works well with your body,” Brigette says shyly.

“Echo! You sneaky girl,” Winston shoulder bumps her.

Although appreciating everyone’s encouragement, Elaina pushes past them over to her Sensei, who stands alone.

The oni mask covers his face and it looks down at her menacingly.

“Sensei…” she tries to appease him.

When he doesn’t respond, she reaches out to him. 

Genji holds a hand up. “Your sympathy is unnecessary. You did very good.”

Elaina squeals and beams, hands over her mouth.

“May I make a request?” He bows towards her, mask inches from her face.

“Okay,” she consents before thinking.

“I would like to be your partner.” Elaina stares wide at him. “In all aspects. Including that one,” he jerks his chin at the dance floor. “If you would have me.”

“You were my partner, didn’t you see?” she giggles.

Genji sighs, a sound between frustration and consent. “Think that’s funny do you?”

“Clearly.” She holds her stomach, alcohol stirring unhappily.

“Expect punishment later,” he threatens and walks away from her to the stage.

“What?! Sensei!” She grabs at his arm but he leaps away.

“It’s your turn to watch me,” he says. “Winston. I’m ready.”

“I got you,” he lumbers across the room to the speaker controls.

Everyone leaves the stage to allow Genji to perform. 

Leaving his mask on, he begins. It’s a pop song. At first Elaina thinks it’s Japanese but soon decides it’s Korean.

His body jerks with the song, pulled by each beat in a different direction. The movement is so extreme that outside of dancing it may look disturbing, but with the music vibrating the air, it seems natural to move in such a way. 

He uses every part of his body. One moment his legs will buckle, the next they’re in the air. The complete synchronization with the music is paralyzing to watch. Unlike with Elaina’s performance where many people were howling in excitement, the crowd this time is silent. Each person furiously trying to make sense of his movements.

Then suddenly, it's over.

Still silence.

Genji assumes a bow, “Thank you for witnessing me.”

Now the howling begins. Clapping hands break the air.

“Sensei,” Elaina looks up at him when he stops in front of her after accepting compliments from the group. “That was amazing!”

“Time to go, Gakusei,” he tells her.

“What? Why?”

“I’ve had enough social interaction tonight.”

Elaina pulls her sleeve down subconsciously. “Okay.”

Genji chuckles. “And I’m taking you with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iu koto wa arimasen: Won't say  
> Watashi wa anata no hada e no kenri o motte inai nodesu ka?: Am I not allowed access to your skin?  
> Nigeba wa arimasen: There is no escape  
> Nandesuka?: What is it?  
> gomen: sorry  
> Nazena no?: Why not?  
> Watashiwomitete kudasai: Eyes on me.  
> Anata no tame ni nandemo, watashi no ai: Anything for you, my love


	30. Bedroom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEXUAL CONTENT WARNING
> 
> Translated foreign text at end

"Where are we going?" Elaina asks.

"My room,” Genji purrs.

"But you said-" she gasps.

"Thank you for a most enjoyable evening," he interrupts her to speak with the group.

"Calling it a night?" Angela asks.

"That's probably for the best," Brigette agrees. "I can see Reinhardt about to collapse in a chair any minute."

"Ah!" Reinhardt growls, immediately straightening his wavering form. " You are just picking on me because I am the oldest!"

"No," Brigette insists, "I am picking on you because you have drank the most beer."

"I'll help you clean up Emily," Winston offers.

"Oh thank you," she beams. 

Genji pulls at Elaina’s resistant hand. "Unless I need to carry you again?"

"A-ah," Elaina stammers, allowing herself to be moved along by his eager grip. "But Sensei!"

Genji pulls the two of them out into the hall. It almost feels as though she's a child being pulled away from recess for punishment.

Elaina grits her teeth as he pulls her through the compound silently, ending in front of his bedroom door.

"Why do you look so afraid, Gakusei?" He asks, pushing his mask up on his head to reveal his conceited face. "I thought you would be excited to join me."

He moves closer and she backs up into a wall. Hands on either side of her, his face hovers in front of hers, eyes unreadable.

“You… are not yourself. Are you drunk Sensei?”

His face forward behavior is making her nervous.

“Your dancing has exposed the next step towards intimacy.”

Elaina’s eyes narrow.

“I must touch you.”

His hands slide from the wall to her waist.

“You don’t think you’ll-” Elaina pauses, trying to assess how unstable he is. He’s been mostly playful with her the entire evening, and the alcohol seems to be helping smooth him out. “Lose control?”

Genji smirks and laughs. Elaina sighs in relief.

“I will not be tempted as I forbid you to touch me,” his arrogance continues.

“What?” she leans forward in exasperation, inadvertently bringing her face right up to his.

He takes the opportunity to kiss her tenderly. She participates in the kiss but grumbles after he leaves her.

“I don’t think that’s fair…”

“Fair?” His expression suggests that he hadn’t considered the inequality an issue. Not surprising considering how arrogant he’s been all evening.

“Sex isn’t all about the individual, it’s a partnership,” she recites quietly. Genji’s sexual aggression is dredging up memories of another. It seems that her apprehension is sobering him, his hands falling from her body.

“I see,” is all he says.

_I most certainly will regret rejecting him later._

His golden eyes look down the hall dully, the actions of the night may be catching up to him.

“Hehe,” Elaina giggles. “Are you pouting Sensei?”

“Of course not.” His face scrunches.

“Why don’t you just let me touch you too?” Her hands pull in his belt, bringing him close to her again.

“Mmm,” he considers. “No, I am more volatile than usual. You should probably just go sleep in your own room.”

_Shit._ _Just give in and let him touch you._

“Maybe…” the alcohol clouds her regularly fast working mind. “You could give me something of equal worth?”

“Got something in mind?” The smirk returns to his face.

“I want…” she bites her lip, “you to answer all my questions.”

“Do I not do that already?”

“Are you kidding? You have at least triple the amount of secrets as a regular person.”

“Oh, so you want to know my secrets? Alright. Deal.”

In a quick motion he lifts her off the ground and turns to his door, then pauses.

“Elaina, if you would please.” His arms full, he motions to the door handle.

“Yes, Sensei,” she turns the nob, ultimately submitting to whatever one sided torture he has in mind.

He sets her down in the middle of the room. Instead of turning the light on, he goes to the desk and lights a paper lantern.

The romm’s contents are just as she remembers them, except his standard armor is neatly stacked on the edge of a desk, his Ryu Ichimonji and partnering wakizashi beside it.

“Mmm,” he hums, completely removing the oni mask and hood. He returns to his position in front of her. “Why don’t you start?”

“S-start?” she looks down at herself. Lifting her hand to the zipper, she assumes he wants her to undress but is stopped by him.

“No,” he says, smiling, “I mean, ask me a question.”

Countless thoughts, ideas, loose-ends, and the like speed through her mind. If Elaina has learned anything from asking Genji about himself, it’s that he’s extremely transitory. 

“What age did you lose your virginity?” she asks, hoping that staying on a sexual topic will keep him in the right mind set. 

“May I make a request?” he asks instead of answering.

“Hey!” she protests.

“Fourteen. May I make a request?” he asks again, grinning.

She sighs. “Okay.”

“Look at me when you ask me these questions.” His left hand comes up to hold her head under her cat hood, redirecting her focus on him. “I will not answer them if you look away.”

Her chin juts out in disbelief. “You can't make rules for my side of the bargain!”

The fingers of his right hand pull the collar of her costume forward and he looks down inside, clearly ignoring her outburst.

“Who was your first?” she presses. His eyes come up from the gap he’s created to check if she’s following the new rule.

“Kaguya,” he answers, finding her brown eyes parallel to his. He pinches the zipper between thumb and forefinger, then pulls down slowly.

“Was she your partner?” Realizing she was watching his hand, her eyes dart up to his face.

“A sex worker.” The zipper passes by her bra. “What’s with that look?”

Elaina tries to correct her face. “Sorry.”

“Otōsan insisted,” he explains. The hand on her head pushes the hood back, then the fabric on her right shoulder. He inhales deeply.

“Your father? Why?”

He’s distracted by her now revealed right side, dark blue lace bra contrasting her pale skin. He leans in and grabs her bra strap with his teeth.

“G-Genji-”

“Hm?” The elastic snaps back against her skin. “Oh, a part of my upbringing, I suppose. Hanzo did so as well.”

His attention shifts to the left side. Pushing the costume off her shoulder, as he did with the right, the whole garment falls to the floor.

He backs up to take in her full form, eyes softening more with each pass over. Elaina slumps, looking away from him.

“What’s wrong?”

“I wanna see you…”

Never has she seen Genji smile so much, probably because he hides his face under a mask, but it's an added benefit to this evening she hadn’t previously considered.

“Lay down for me,” he says, somewhere between a question and a command.

Complying, she moves to lay on top of the bed on the floor. Her nervousness is slowly dissolving as her partner builds up a rigid sexual desire within her. 

First she lifts her arms above her head, arches her back, and finally rubs her bare legs together, maintaining a seductive gaze.

“You’re sure you don’t want to be naked with me?” she teases. “Just think how nice your skin will feel against mine.”

“A-ah,” he stutters, shoulders shaking from the tension. “Do I need to set more rules for you?”

“More like rules for you.”

He rolls his eyes, hands reaching for the spiked armor on his shoulder. Elaina gasps.

_Is he actually going to undress?_

“Do get too excited,” he says. The shoulder plates are removed, as well as the lower arm ornaments. Finally, he takes off the last piece featuring sharp spikes, a calf plating.

“You’re not done are you?” she asks when he crouches down to crawl into the bed next to her. “I still can’t see any of your skin.”

“Don’t test me Gakusei,” he warns. “I haven’t even started touching you yet, but I can make this a whole lot worse.”

“Worse for me? Or you?”

“Quite precocious tonight aren’t you?” He leans in and nips an earlobe. 

Elaina moans, hand sliding through his hair. The rough lips move under her ear while his hand runs up her inner thigh.

“Genji?”

He answers her with his eyes.

“Will you kiss me?” She waits with an open mouth.

“No.” Ducking back down, his breath skips across her skin til he reaches a breast. Her bra is still on and her chest pushes eagerly against it with her heavy breaths.

_He’s punishing me. Fine._

“Did you have sex with Zenyatta?” she asks, trying to distract him.

Just as he’s pulled back one of the cups to reveal a nipple, he stops.

“I know you were spying on us Sensei.”

“How do you know?” he jests, then pinches the underside of her butt.

“There’s no other way you could have come in at such an opportune moment,” she declares confidently.

He shrugs as she waits expectantly, muscles tensing.

“Sensei!” she pushes him to answer. “Are you breaking the rules?”

Openly laughing at her frustration, he finally answers, “No,” then looks up from touching her to watch her react.

“No you aren’t breaking the rules or no you didn’t have sex with him?”

“Both.”

Elaina sighs, body relaxing.

“Was it truly making you that nervous?” he asks amused.

“It’s just one less person I need to compare myself to,” she admits.

“Why compare yourself at all? I haven’t had sex in years, don’t really remember any of my previous copulations that well.”

His hand pulls at the cup again, intending to resume.

“Oh really? Who's the woman with the white face?” she smirks.

Genji looks at her in complete disbelief.

“I can keep secrets too, you know.”

“My secrets you mean?” he scoffs. "How about making some of your own?"

She shrugs, just as he had earlier.

“How do you know of her?” He glares at her suspiciously.

Breaking eye contact, she admits, “She came to me the first time I used biotic grasp on you.”

“That long ago?” His neck juts out. “And you have chosen not to share this with me.”

Elaina chuckles, looking back at him. “Well?”

He sighs, eyelids fluttering, undoubtedly reliving the memory. “Sayuri.”

“You were older then,” she observes, bringing the memory to mind herself. “She was not your first?”

“No. She-” he stops and smiles. “I can only assume you have heard of my lifestyle before my transformation?”

Elaina nods.

“Sayuri was the catalyst for that lifestyle.”

Bewilderment hits her face like a brick.

“Loved the way she would reject Hanzo,” he says nostalgically, more to himself than to her. “Never found another quite like her though…”

Elaina tenses up.

_Both wish I had and am grateful I hadn’t seen more of their sexual interaction from his memory._

A helpless whimper escapes her. Genji looks back at her, pulled from his thoughts. She’s sat up and is hugging her knees, undoubtedly self-conscious.

“Ah,” he reaches for her cheek. “Do not worry, it was long ago.”

“Was she also a Geisha?” Elaina asks, eyes peeking over her knees. “Like Kaguya?”

Genji baulks. “You wish to speak more of her?”

Elaina nods. “If she was your best then I…”

He cocks his head in assessment. “She was no Geisha.”

Taking her ankles with one hand, he pulls her legs back down to once again reveal her mostly naked body.

“Geisha are not sex workers.”

“Really?” The context of the conversation is interesting enough that she ignores her sudden exposure.

His eyes travel up her skin, landing on her eyes. “No. Their role is to entice. They are artists. Treasures to want, never to have.”

His hand comes up and rests above a breast, along the collar bone.

“Sayuri liked to dress like Geisha though.”

The hand slides up her neck and takes hold of her head, just behind the ear. He pulls her to him, taking her exhaled breath into him before making contact. 

The kiss is incredibly satisfying, not only because of her desire for him, but also because after speaking of Sayuri, of Zenyatta, Elaina feels particularly special for being chosen by this man.

There’s no tongue in this kiss. Perhaps he’s trying to find a good pace, instead playfully biting her lower lip. His hands travel her body again. The left one comes down the front of her chest, between the breasts, then glides along the side of her ribcage to her back, and finally lands at the swell of a hip. 

His right hand comes from behind her ear to her shoulder. It flits down her arm to seize her hand, fingers intertwining.

Elaina traces his upper lip with her tongue, asking for more. He shudders, but complies with an open mouth.

Five heartbeats later, his breathing has accelerated, the grip on both her hand and hip increasing to an uncomfortable state.

Elaina moans, in a telling way, somewhere between pleasure and pain. His hands and mouth withdraw immediately.

Opening her eyes to see where he’s gone, she finds he hasn’t left but instead grips the fabric of the bed tightly on either side of him.

“Ask me another question,” he commands, disappointment marring his face.

“Um-” Elaina looks around wildly, trying to reconnect her brain to convestational thought. Luckily, her eyes land on the one painting decorating his room. “Did you name Soba?”

Genji exhales loudly, then licks his lips. “Soba… Uh, yes.”

“Does… his name have meaning?” she inquires further, now gripping the bed herself. “I know Japanese names usually have meaning.”

He looks up at her, then blinks, averting his eyes again like he’s caught her naked on accident. 

Thinking her current state may be too much for him, she pulls her knees up again, hiding the more desirable parts.

“Forgive me Elaina,” he says, eyes closed.

“Can’t tell me the meaning behind his name? Is it too secret? Will Soba get mad at you?” she asks playfully.

“No, I-” his eyes meet hers again in confusion. Perhaps he realizes what she’s trying to do and chuckles, finally releasing his grip on the bed. “Soba means ‘beside’ or ‘near.’”

“You mean…” Elaina puts a finger on her chin in fake speculation. “You didn’t name him after the noodles?”

Genji laughs in earnest this time. “I did not.”

“What does your name mean?”

“Mmm…” he scratches the side of his head, clearly embarrassed.

Elaina narrows her eyes in confusion.

“It’s a little ironic actually,” he admits. The topic seems to have brought him out of his self-loathing, bringing a smile to Elaina’s face. “It means ‘two beginnings.’”

“Really?” she practically yells in disbelief.

“ _E e_. I believe it was father’s way of indicating he wanted both me and Hanzo to lead our clan. I think my birth may have been an accident.”

“Fate spins a cruel web,” Elaina whispers, laying her cheek on her knees and twitches when his hand slides up the side of her leg.

“Very poetic, Gakusei,” he says bleakly. The touch is more comforting than sexual as he seems lost in thought. 

“So,” Elaina takes the opportunity to segue to some more burning questions. “Why did you join Overwatch? The first time I mean.”

His brows furrow, ever so slightly, and he maintains the expression for a few moments. “They made me.”

_What?! He didn’t voluntarily join Overwatch?_

“T-they…?” she tries to clarify. Her voice shakes with the word, discovering this topic is even more harrowing than she previously thought. 

“Overwatch, their leaders, their doctors,” he says. “In exchange for my life.”

Moving up to his knees, he takes Elaina into his arms and lifts her off the bed. Next, he stands, kicks the top sheet back, and lowers her into it.

“You mean,” she can feel the tears build at the top of her throat, “they wouldn’t have saved you if you’d denied?”

Genji takes a deep breath, then rises above her. “Probably not.”

There he stands, staring at the painting on the wall above the bed. Not moving, just breathing.

“Are you leaving?” she asks morosely.

A small smile perks his lips and his face softens. He looks down at her lovingly, “Forgive me, koibito.”

Elaina rolls her lips together. “It’s okay.”

He squats down next to her. “Please stay here if you’d like.” 

Reaching up, he holds her face, stroking a cheek with his thumb. Elaina’s hand lays atop his on her face. “Be well, _Otto_.”

“Otto?” his eyebrows perk.

Her eyes close, embarrassed, to hide from his surprise.

Rough lips brush hers as a means of farewell, and he’s out the door a few seconds later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Otto: husband


	31. Ecchi Suru

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEXUAL CONTENT WARNING
> 
> Translated foreign text at end

A light knock at the door raises Elaina’s attention.

“Come in,” she calls out, not wanting to leave her bed. It’s probably just Lena. 

It’s a few days after the welcoming party. All agents have been organized in the system accordingly and Reinhardt and Brigette have even been sent on their first mission. Winston has decided to offer assistance to countries who need it most, the first on his list being Russia. The two new members, well one new one reinstated, have been charged with communing with their government.

The door opens, and Genji enters the room. He closes the door behind him.

“Oh!” Elaina squeaks. She looks down at herself, in a tank top, no bra, and only underwear. The blankets of the bed cover her lower half but she is painfully aware of her almost nakedness.

She hasn’t seen her Sensei since the night of the party, busying herself by helping Winston with some administrative tasks.

“My apologies Gakusei, am I disturbing you?” Genji stands motionless in the middle of her small room, hands behind his back. The only light the room offers comes from a desk lamp, casting him in a very artistic glow.

“Uh…” she looks at the laptop in front of her. “Nope!” 

The computer snaps shut and she moves to get out of the bed intending to put it on the desk. One leg escapes the covers and the chill reminds her of her exposed skin. The leg quickly retracts and instead she puts the computer on the floor.

When she looks back up, Genji has his gaze averted.

“What brings you by, Sensei?”

“I can’t wait any longer,” he admits.

Elaina cocks her head, hoping beyond hope it means what she thinks it does.

His hands move from behind his back to his helmet. A light hiss and he removes the covering. “I have come to claim you.”

Elaina squeals into her hands.

“I’m sorry,” he looks down in dismay. “Planning sex isn’t very sexy. _Tabun watashi wa motsubekide wa arimasen-_ ”

She jumps out of the bed, coming right up to him. “Spontaneity isn’t characteristic of you.”

A smirk blooms on his face. “It may be, soon enough.”

Hands on his chest, her lips purse. “If you planned for intimacy,” she visually takes in his current dress, "then why are you fully armored?"

Even the lights on his body shine in accordance. As complicated as he is, she can't imagine a good reason to arrive armored.

“Does undressing me not appeal to you?”

“Uh…” She looks at each part of him. “It would. If I knew how.”

“I will show you. But first,” Genji takes her hands in his. "I must admit, I am still very afraid of my lack of self-control.”

Elaina nods. “Just tell me what to do.”

"I honestly thought about removing my right arm," he holds the appendage up to look at, dropping her hand. "For this occasion."

"Wait, really?" She looks at the arm. "You can do that?"

"Yes," the hand returns to hers. "But not easily."

"I'm glad you didn't," she says. "Then you wouldn't be able to hold me."

The worry on his face melts to gratitude. "Thank you. For saying so.”

Taking her hands from his, she holds his face looking into his beautiful eyes and kisses him briefly.

"Genji,” Elaina whispers. “Why are your eyes golden?”

The eyes soften, and he smiles. “They used to be brown, not unlike yours.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” He takes one hand and places it directly over the middle of his chest. His fingers intertwine with hers, directing them, the lit circle deep inside their goal. Genji presses in and the mechanism responds by popping out. Together they turn it 180 degrees. The white plated armor on his body rises half an inch in release.

Taking her other hand as well, Genji lifts their fingers to each part of his body: chest, shoulders, arms, legs and finally, his stomach, to remove each armored piece.

“If you would please," he turns, exposing his back.

“My pleasure, Sensei."

Her fingers curve under the armor guarding his spine, pulling it free, then also taking the plates covering his shoulder blades and trapezius. The shiny plating covering the back of his neck gets her attention next. She touches it lightly, wondering if it is removable as well.

"That does not come off," Genji answers her thoughts.

Elaina runs a finger down the cybernetic muscle of his back. He shudders lightly, looking over his shoulder at her.

“What next?” she asks him, already breathless.

Genji faces her once again. The maroon cybernetic muscle covers his entire body. If she hadn’t seen him half naked previously, she would assume that this is his true form, with just a mechanical skeleton beneath.

Taking her hand again, he returns it to the circle in the middle of his chest. They complete the revolution with another 180 degrees, and the once tight cybernetic muscle slackens. 

Both hands positioned above the mechanism, he pulls the suit apart ripping it down the middle. It seemed to work like velcro, only some kind of magnetic field held the pieces together instead.

Genji lifts his hand to each side of the suit, pulling his arms free. His scarred skin shines eerily in the lamp light, while the right arm mirrors the suit it comes free from, slightly darker maroon in color. The suit now hangs limply around his hips.

Elaina’s eyes travel downward, stopping at the line where the suit rests, preventing further exploration. His muscular stomach is slightly persperated and the light exaggerates his perfect form. Looking lower, she rubs her bare legs together in anticipation.

“Elaina,” he breathes her name as she stares enchanted by his exposed body. "You asked me to tell you what to do."

"Hm?" she mumbles, distracted by a budding fantasy.

A hand grabs her roughly by the chin, directing her gaze up to his angry face.

"A-ah…!" Surprised by the sudden aggression, Elaina tries to recoil away from him but his grip keeps her in place. "What is it?" 

The fear in her eyes must be visible as he chooses to release her.

"I'm sorry," he sighs. "I can already feel my self-restraint waiver. _Onegaishimasu_..." 

Elaina waits for his solution, not daring to take her eyes off his again. 

"Restrain me," he begs.

"What?"

"Tie me down," he explains. "This is the only solution I have been able to come up with."

_So much for being held in his arms._

He leans down, lips brushing her ear. "I want you in control," Genji purrs.

"I… can have my way with you?" she confirms. “Like the other night?”

Genji shivers, closing his eyes. "Ah… _Yōsu o miyou_."

Elaina pulls her eyes away from him to look for a means of bondage. She leaves him standing there, taut as a bow string, to rummage through one of her prepared mission bags. 

The bag yields a length of rope. 

As he never turned to watch her, Elaina approaches him from behind. 

“Sensei…!” she gasps, almost dropping the rope.

“What is it?” he stiffly moves his neck to look over a shoulder.

Elaina comes up to him and places a hand on the bare skin of his back. “Soba.”

Genji’s back is entirely covered by a complex green dragon tattoo, a mirror of his brother’s. The dragon she met in Nepal glares fiercely at her from his right shoulder surrounded by clouds and lightning.

“I am Yakuza, Elaina.”

_Was Yakuza._

Unfortunately, the pistons embedded in his body, likely used to secure his suit, interrupt the design, scars mixing angrily with the ink.

“It’s beautiful Genji.”

When he doesn’t respond, she returns to the task, wrapping the rope around his right wrist and pulling it firmly behind his back. The left wrist she guides with her hand to join the other in imprisonment.

Finished with his request, she runs her finger tips up his heavily scarred arm to the shoulder as she passes in front of him.

He twitches and groans at her touch. The binding at his wrists creak at the increased tension. 

Pain mars his face and Elaina takes her hand from him.

"What's wrong Sensei?"

Genji takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. "I have not experienced the touch of another in… ten years. It's almost too much for me."

"Hm…" Elaina considers. This may be a blessing in disguise. As he is already restrained, she doesn’t fear him lashing out like last time. Plus, any reactions of pleasure she can will from him will be heavily exaggerated in his current state. 

A filthy smirk blooms on her face.

_Time for revenge for the other night._

" _Watashitoisshoni yasashikushite kudasai_ _…_ " he takes a step back from her, reading her lustful eyes.

She stops his retreat by grabbing the material at his hips. "Already tied you up, so there’s no escaping this time.”

The tips of her fingers threaten the edge of the suit.

"Ah!" He jumps back, but not noticing some of his discarded armor, he trips and falls on his backside.

Elaina takes the opportunity to crawl on top of him, the devious grin still shining on her face. 

Her hands slide up from his lower stomach to his chest, his breathing accelerating as she moves. The hands end up on either side of his head to pull him into a hungry kiss.

The kiss reveals two halves of him clashing again. His lips keep pace with her, but his tongue hides within, afraid to commit.

She leaves his mouth after a bite of his lower lip, now kissing under his jawline and down his neck. 

" _Dō ka go jihi o_ ," he gasps. " _Onegai_ …"

The muscles of his arms bulge with the effort of escape.

Elaina chuckles and moves further down his body. Her fingertips tickle the edge of his suit again, looking for access.

" _Matsu!_ " Genji kicks his legs and wiggles out from under her.

She grumbles in disappointment. "I thought I was in charge?" 

He’s pressed himself up against the far wall next to the door, as far from her as the space permits.

“I may have underestimated you,” he admits, hands pressed against the wall behind his back, shoulders and chest shake with rapid breath.

“I thought you were a playboy in your younger days,” Elaina says, standing to approach him again. “I’m sure I won’t do anything you haven’t experienced before.”

“I let you set the pace because I believed you would move slower than I,” he swallows. “But you move just as fast as I would and I do not want this to end prematurely.”

Elaina finally makes the connection. “When was the last time you…? I mean, do you not pleasure yourself?”

Genji’s eyes narrow. “I am a monk, Elaina.”

She raises her eyebrows at him. “Have you met Rinnatta?”

“I did not study under him.”

“Does Zenyatta consider lust a negative emotion?”

“He does not,” Genji says. “But I do, as it seems to reawaken some of my inner demons, therefore I have avoided it.”

“And now?”

“I have expressed my fears to you already,” he leers.

Elaina carefully considers her next step. Would it be better to push him hard, like when facing one’s fears? Or should she proceed cautiously, as to not scare him off?

“May I remove the remainder of your suit?” she asks politely. “I promise to be gentle with you.”

He hesitates, but ultimately leaves the wall and stands before her again with a doubtful expression.

Raising her hands slowly, she places them at his waist unmoving, allowing him time to acclimate to her touch. Once his breathing steadies, she refocuses on the suit’s edge a third time.

Anticipating pulling the material off his legs, Elaina kneels down in front of him, head level with his pelvis. Despite feeling rubbery, the suit pulls down like soft cotton. His legs are almost entirely robotic, it’s unclear how far his flesh extends into the metal casing covering his thighs. 

Fascinated, as usual, she scans the prosthetics as she pulls the suit further towards the floor and giggles when discovering he has toes.

Her gaze moves back up his body to his face. He looks listlessly off to the side, clearly lacking self-confidence.

Driven by his poor mood, she reaches around and takes the meat of his buttocks into her hands. He gives a yelp and his gaze shoots back down at her. Instead of returning the look, she lays her cheek against where his leg joins his pelvis and inhales deeply, eyelids fluttering in bliss. 

That deep earthy smell of the male genitalia arouses her more than anything. She leans back a little and gives a big lick to the side of his lower stomach, savoring the salt.

“Ah…” he moans, voice cracking. “A _nata wa watashi ni uso o tsuita._ ”

Surprisingly, he does not move away from her. Elaina stands up and swiftly removes her tank top, breasts settling when her arms lower. His eyes widen, his body shaking again.

Their skin connects as she pushes her naked body against him, hips rubbing rhythmically against his.

“Tell me how this feels,” she whispers in his ear. 

Genji groans again, then bites her hard on the shoulder.

“Mmm…” The pain feels good and she claws at his back, returning the favor.

The muscles of his shoulders tense and shake. Suddenly, the bonds snap and his hands fly out from behind his back and grab her roughly, one on her butt, one on her back pulling her body tight against him.

He laughs, almost growling with satisfaction at being freed. Pushing her back, Elaina’s legs reach the edge of the bed and she falls into it. Genji quickly covers her body with his own.

Elaina submits completely to his hunger and aggression. Holding her tight enough to produce bruises, she moans each time his hands move to a new part of her body. The left and right hand introduce a dizzying dichotomy between freezingly cold and painfully hot.

Still rubbing her hips against him, she can feel his readiness at the seam of her legs, but he does not enter.

“Please,” she begs, aching from the increased blood flow.

“ _Imadani_ ,” he says between a break of their lips. His hands grip the edge of her last remaining clothing. Rolling off her to the side, he yanks the fabric free, panties flying out into the room. “Let me ready you.”

The left hand travels down the side of her stomach, its finish line between her legs.

“Wait,” she grabs the hand. “The right one.”

Genji baulks. “Elaina…”

“Nope,” she insists. “It’s not negotiable.”

A loud breath escapes him. “Wakatta.”

He rolls over her to the other side. The right hand follows the same trail but on the other side of her body. The cold metal fingers are lightning across her hot skin and her breathing accelerates.

Elaina moans, her open mouth looking for his.

He licks her lower lip just as his fingers reach their goal.

“ _Sudeni?"_ he breathes into her mouth. _"Watashi wa anata ga amarini mo nagaiai mata sete imasu_.”

The metal tips of his fingers move across the inner folds of her skin like a boat across the sea. She grips the hair on the back of his head tightly, trying to pull him to her.

Sucking on his lips and tongue, she tries to impress the sense of haste she feels, moving rhythmically against his hand. Her left hand comes to his hips and slides down to the pressure against her leg.

Genji’s wet hand whips up from her, seizing hers just as it makes contact with him. “Īe.”

“But!” Elaina protests, kicking her legs a little.

Genji chuckles. “I’ll give you control soon enough. I'll have you on top anyways.” He releases her hand and resumes his exploration of the seam.

“Stop teasing me then,” she moans.

“Mmm…” Genji moans with her. “But you’re so soft.”

Despite her begging, he takes his time with her. Sometimes entering, sometimes pinching, and other times not moving at all just to listen to her labored breathing.

“Genji,” Elaina calls to him after a few minutes.

“Hm? What is it my _nureta koneko_ _?”_

“Will you… Talk to me?”

“Hm? Talk?” He perks slightly.

“In Japanese?” she asks, now a little shy.

“Ah… _Sore wa tadashī. Watashi no nureta koneko wa, nihonjin ga suki_.”

Elaina moans at the speech. He could be saying anything, her mind takes the foreign words and turns them into exactly what she needs to hear.

Genji picks up the pace, fingers practically vibrating.

“ _Watashi no tame ni sakimasu_ …”

Elaina holds her breath, shaking, then exhales as the heat suddenly swells over her, urgent and almost involuntary.

Wet lips take her nipple as his hand leads her through the orgasm, slowing as she does.

“Mmm…” he sighs, mouth popping off her breast. He removes his hand and brings it up to his face. Looking at his fingers, he puts the first two in his mouth.

Elaina watches him in fascination, hoping he won’t recoil from the taste. The fingers leave his mouth, a string of saliva and cum following from his lips.

“Now,” he turns his attention back to her. “On me.”

Genji stuffs a hand under her back, prompting her to climb on top of him. She obeys his command but, “Um… Sensei?”

Elaina straddles him but hovers a few inches above, unsure. He did say he wanted her on top but she was hoping that she could persuade him to take her in missionary instead.

“ _Nandesuka_?”

“Why do you want it this way?”

Genji laughs and sits up to her. “ _Anata wa kawaīdesu_. What happened to all that spunk before?”

“It’s just,” Elaina hesitates. He holds her hips, pulling her down to rest on him but not entering, still causing her to gasp.

“Never been in this position before?” he asks, hand on her cheek.

Elaina shakes her head. “I just don’t want it to be bad… For you.”

“Do not worry, I will instruct you. As your Sensei.” He winks.

Elaina smiles. “In Japanese?”

He laughs again. “You would not understand if I told you in Nihongo.” She pouts. “No, I will show you with my hands, with my body.”

His hands instruct, pulling her first forward, down, and then back. The pressure of him swells in her and she grabs his hair tightly.

His scent consumes her as she hides in his neck. She closes her eyes, savoring the feeling of him inside her. A pressure she has been begging for for months.

Confusingly, he does not direct her more. Elaina pulls back to look at his face. He seems to be focusing immensely, his eyes closed, but on what she isn’t sure. 

_Is he also relishing our joining?_ She tests him by swirling her hip slightly.

“Ah,” he grips her tighter, brows furrowing. “ _Imadani_.”

He breathes heavily, pushes her hips forward and back, shakes with a grimace, then stops again.

His expression is absolutely intoxicating. A seductive mixture of pleasure, pain, and determination.

She aches with wanting, moving against him again, unable to stop herself. “Please,” she breathes in his ear. “I need it. Just give in.”

It’s almost as if she speaks the voice of the demon inside of him. Genji moans and bites her neck, now telling her hips to move against him.

Elaina picks up his tempo. He pushes her legs back and she falls against him. They lay back against the bed, Elaina holding herself up, hands on either side of him.

One hand grips her butt, keeping the pace, while the other pulls her into a kiss. She murmurs in bliss, the circular plates embedded in his stomach scratch her skin like eager fingernails.

One breast against the synthetic pectoral, his hard metal hand squeezing her rear, loving a cybernetic man couldn't be more unique and fulfilling.

Suddenly, he stops, breaking their kiss with a sharp intake of breath. Thinking he may be reaching completion, she goes to his neck.

“Elaina,” he whispers. His hand pushes her away from him and he sits up, arms around her and stalling her movements.

“Genji, please, don’t wait any longer! We’re almost there.” She goes for his mouth again.

His hand comes up and grabs her across the face, “Do not speak.”

She groans against his hand. Genji’s face is a stone mask, he doesn't look at her but instead past her.

Elaina follows his gaze over her shoulder, but only sees the closed door. Scanning for the threat, she notices a strange black fog entering the room under the door jam.

"Genji-"

"Shh!" 

The black fog begins to coagulate into a large shape. The shape of a man.

Genji remains motionless, his face now livid. What Elaina thought to be white light shines red in his eyes.

"Aahhh…" the half smoke man croaks. "Not surprising that you're the one having fun in here, Genji."

"Don't assume to judge me, Gabriel, you abandoned your humanity long ago," Genji spits at him.

"That's right, my idea of fun just wouldn't come across to you… or your friend." It’s clearly a threat.

The intruder wears a long black cloak, featuring a large hood. Beneath the hood he wears a pointed skull mask, but the scariest thing to Elaina is how heavily armored he is. Two large shotguns hang at his hips and his hands feature metallic claws. She immediately visualizes the claws against her currently bare back and shivers in fear.

The two men stare each other down, waiting for the other to move. 

Elaina cannot see the enemy's eyes but feels like he's melting her in his gaze. 

_Crash!_

_Bang! Bang!_

Loud noises ring through the compound suggesting conflict.

"I didn't come here for you, boy, but if you leave this room, I will kill you," and with that warning, the man dissolves into smoke again, leaving the way he came.

Genji relaxes ever so slightly. 

Elaina's body scrunches and she begins to cry, covering her face with shaky hands.

The hand once gripping her back now rubs it comfortingly, "It's okay Elaina, you are no longer in danger."

“Genji…" She inhales. "We were so close."

Elaina can feel him slip out of her, only causing her to sob harder. She lifts off of him, sits down on the bed and hugs her knees to her chest.

"Gakusei," he pulls her face up from her legs. "You are crying at the loss of our intimacy?"

She nods, not looking him in the eye.

The wise gold eyes look at her sympathetically. "There will be a next time."

Her eyes dart to his, anger clouding her face. "Fuck Genji, if I had died right then, well maybe a few moments later, your seed spilling from me… I can't think of a better time to go."

"Elaina," he tries to reason with her. "The Watchpoint is under attack. By Talon. The world's largest terrorist organization. And you want to finish having sex?"

She knows how ridiculous it sounds, but nods anyways.

Genji rises from the bed, crossing his arms as he looks down at her. "Gakusei. Think how it will feel, finding the corpses of your comrades, your friends, because you couldn't give up _ecchi suru_. And making me responsible too."

It’s painfully obvious that he’s acting as a stringent teacher to her, crushing any opposition she has left. Elaina rubs a finger under her nose and gets up from the bed. 

"Okay," she croaks, looking like a wilted flower.

Genji suits up and Elaina helps him. The process of remounting the suit takes longer than pulling it off unfortunately and despite Elaina knowing they need to mobilize and help the compound, she can't keep the tears from falling.

"I'm sorry Sensei," Elaina rubs her eyes on the heels of her hands. "I'm a selfish deviant." She's still naked and shakes from the cold air in her room.

"This conflict is beyond you I'm afraid." Genji pushes one of her hands aside, replacing it with his own on her cheek. "Will you stay hidden, _koibito_?"

Anything he says makes sense to her deflated persona and she nods.

Genji turns from her to the door. He cracks it open silently. Assumably not seeing a threat, he slips out in a green flash and closes the door behind him.

Elaina cries harder at his absence and crawls into the bed, hugging a pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tabun watashi wa motsubekide wa arimasen-: Maybe I shouldn’t have-  
> Yōsu o miyou: We will see  
> Watashitoisshoni yasashikushite kudasai: Please be gentle with me  
> Dō ka go jihi o: Have mercy on me  
> Onegai: Please  
> Matsu: Wait  
> Anata wa watashi ni uso o tsuita: You lied to me  
> Imadani: Not yet  
> Sudeni? Watashi wa anata ga amarini mo nagaiai mata sete imasu: Already? I have kept you waiting too long.  
> nureta koneko: wet kitty  
> Sore wa tadashī. Watashi no nureta koneko wa, nihonjin ga suki: That's right. My wet kitty likes Japanese.  
> Watashi no tame ni sakimasu: Bloom for me  
> Nandesuka: What is it?  
> Anata wa kawaīdesu: You are cute  
> ecchi suru: having sex  
> koibito: sweetheart


	32. Mobilze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translated foreign text at end

Eventually her eyes dry and Elaina begins to think more coherently. The first thought is of Genji insisting that this enemy is too dangerous for her. He is most undoubtedly correct. But can she just sit quietly in this room reeking of his sweat and love, while he risks his life for others?

"I'll only get more hurt trying to protect you," Bars's voice reminds her. Leaving and trying to help might be counterproductive one half of her mind vocalizes. The smoke man saw Genji with her and might use her against him.

“I know one hand takes, but I also know that the other gives. It saves lives, Elaina. It could save me one day. Or Lena,” a past Genji speaks from the other side of her mind, arguing action.

What would the other agents do? At Route 66 she decided to move smartly in the environment until needed. Bars's broken body comes to mind. She was definitely needed by at least someone that time. Would anyone this time?

Regardless of what she decides to do, Elaina does not want to be caught naked in her room by an enemy. She leaves her bed and gathers some high quality clothing that could suffice as combat gear. Dark green cargo pants, lace-up ankle boots, and a thick black long sleeve shirt. 

She looks down at herself, thinking she kinda looks like the enemy would. But also kind of like Kim Possible. Is this advantageous?

Without realizing it, she has already decided to leave the room. In the silence, she can pick up the sounds of conflict off to the left, in the direction of the courtyard.

If they are in fact in the courtyard, maybe it would be a good idea to get a high vantage point to properly assess the situation before deciding action. 

Elaina nods at her plan. Before leaving the room, she dons the adhesive gear that she keeps under the bed. With this she also takes the Glock, securing it at her waist.

Once outside in the hall, she moves as quietly as possible. The door to Genji's room looms over her as she passes it. The halls are ghostly as she moves though the compound. 

Sneaking past the communal kitchen, a voice calls to her.

"Elaina!" Emily whisper-yells at her passing form.

Turning back, she sees Emily peeking out from under a table.

"Emily," Elaina rushes to her, taking her hand. "What are you doing here?!"

"T-they came upon us in our bedroom," she sobs. 

Elaina rubs her back.

"Lena… she told me to hide. W-where they wouldn't look."

So they came upon Lena in her room too? What were they looking for? Someone specific? Who's the most valuable member of Overwatch?

"I couldn't go to the safe room," Emily continues. "The one who came upon us… was Moira."

Elaina's eyes snap open. The fear blooms in her mind, quickly spider webbing across her body, hands sweating, knees shaking.

Emily notices and squeezes her hand tighter. "She would know where that is and… Oh I'm sorry Elaina."

Elaina swallows hard and takes a deep breath. "It's okay Emily. Good job letting Lena do her job without having to worry about you." She sits down next to her at the edge of the table. "I honestly should be doing just like you. I was told to. But I don't think I'm strong enough to sit still."

"No Elaina," Emily pulls her attention. "I am no soldier. Never could be." She has a determined look in her eye. "I kind of think it's selfish of Genji to ask you to not participate in the safety of Overwatch."

Elaina sighs. Genji clearly doesn't think of her as an equal, nor does she think she deserves it. Most of the Overwatch agents have trained their whole lives to save others.

"That's nice of you to say Emily," Elaina smiles at her. "I think you may be overestimating me since I helped Lena in Kings Row."

"I'm not saying that you should run out and fight one of these Talon guys all by yourself, but I think it would be a waste of your talents to hide and do nothing." Elaina looks at her skeptically. "You've already done some good by coming by and seeing me." 

Emily squeezes her hand and Elaina smiles back at her.

"Emily, did Moira say why they came?"

"I'm sorry, she didn't."

Elaina nods. "Let's head back to your room."

"What? But…"

"If they didn't come for you or Lena, then they have moved on from that place. Have they come by here yet?"

Emily shakes her head.

"Then in their sweep they may find you again. The best place to hide from fire is a place that's already been burned."

Lena's flat has clearly been turned over. A few broken plates litter the floor and the window in the back has been thrown open, cold air flying through the space.

Emily enters the room wearily. The damaged room reflects in her eyes, a melancholy expression painting her face.

Elaina offers a hand on her shoulder. Dispute the mess, there isn't any blood or bodies in the room.

"Would you like me to stay here with you?"

"No. I don't want to feel responsible for any sorrow you may experience from not engaging in the fight."

“That’s fair.” Elaina pauses to think about her next plan of action. She could keep going south toward the war room where Winston would probably be. Or she could make her way back north towards the courtyard. 

“What will you do now?” Emily asks her, probably seeing the contemplation on Elaina’s face.

“I think… I will take the east hall, past the surgery. Then to the courtyard. Maybe I can find Angela.” She has a suspicion that she might be part of their goal.

Emily nods. “Here,” she walks over to their small kitchen and pulls something out of the cupboard.

It’s a small piece of chocolate in the shape of a heart.

Elaina smiles at it and eats it immediately. 

The two embrace and then Elaina leaves, praying Emily will stay safe.

The east hall, also the medical wing, offers no sign of Angela. It’s later in the day, so there’s a good possibility that she had not been here when they infiltrated the compound. 

Who now stalks the Watchpoint from Talon? Elaina tries to recall who the main players are in the organization's frontline team. 

The ghostly smoke man who interrupted her and Genji was called Gabriel. Is that the same Gabriel who was one of the founders of Overwatch? Genji knew him. And by the chummy way he spoke to Genji, they knew each other well. She’s now sure it’s the same person. 

Emily had told her that Moira had confronted her and Lena. Moira had also been an Overwatch agent. Sending in Talon operatives who know the agency, its people, and the layout of the compound made sense tactically. She’s really hoping to not encounter Moira again. The sheer terror that that woman causes her almost paralyzes her just thinking about it.

The only other Talon operative Elaina has encountered was Amelie, or Widowmaker. She hasn’t seen any evidence of her involvement yet but plans to keep the sniper in mind if she enters an open space.

Who else? Elaina thinks about some of the other original top agents from the golden days of Overwatch, considering if they might also be with Talon now too. Her mind first lands on the Blackwatch team. Gabriel and Moira are already confirmed Talon agents. McCree returned with the Overwatch recall and now rides again with his old gang.

That just leaves Genji, who has also returned with the recall. She trembles imagining Genji as a Talon assassin. 

Elaina comes to the end of the medical wing. She could go down to the left, towards the courtyard, her ultimate destination. Or she could climb the stairway to the right, that would lead her to the hanger, behind the courtyard.

Waiting for the decision to come to her, she can hear an awful lot of crashing in the courtyard. Cursing her own impatience, she goes left.

Passing through a large server room, the outside conflict now vibrates loudly through the air. 

Elaina glimpses out the last doorway to the open space of the courtyard. Two people are engaged in fierce combat. 

The first is Genji. Elaina’s hand comes to her mouth to stifle the wail that escapes her at the sight of his missing right arm. Cut just below the shoulder, she wonders if it might have a release mechanism to prevent damage to the shoulder socket. He wields his Ryu Ichimonji with only his left hand, clearly having trouble compensating for the missing appendage. 

The other man is huge. Elaina’s first thought is that he might be omnic given his size relation to Bob, Ashe’s butler from Deadlock. The first sight she catches of him is his right side, featuring a massive metallic arm. It shines gold in the wavering sunlight and the spikes adorning the knuckles suggest that this primary weapon is used for crushing. His almost black skin features white tribal paint to accent his face and left arm. 

Elaina has never seen this man before, but has heard rumors of his weapon from Overwatch history, the Doomfist.

She cannot see any others in the large space, making a point of looking for Amelie. 

_Where is Lena? Where is Angela and Winston? And Echo? Also, why does this man fight Genji alone? Where are his other companions?_

Genji’s superior movement allows him to dodge most attacks thrown by Doomfist, but it’s not an ideal match up she notices. Genji is mostly a mid-range or close range combat fighter. While missing an arm, the one that produces his shuriken, he’s been limited to now only close combat. His opponent is also a close combat fighter, but has superior size and strength. Maybe if Genji got lucky, he might be able to strike the man’s bare chest with his odachi but… Doomfist is too observant, too clever with his movements and attacks to be caught off guard. 

Just as Elaina is trying to hypothesize a solution, Genji is hit. The massive golden fist collides with his chest, the crushing sound echoing through the open courtyard, and he flies, tumbling on the ground and only stopping once hitting a wall.

Ryu Ichimonji is parted from Genji’s left hand in the attack. Elaina’s eyes follow the path of the blade twenty feet from where he lands, and about ten feet from the entrance to the server room where she hides.

Genji tries to stand, his body twitching from the impact, as Doomfist walks casually up to him. 

“Only through conflict do we evolve,” Doomfist says, smiling at his victory.

“I don’t take lessons from one so chaotic,” Genji says, holding his chest. He feebly pulls his wakizashi out in front of him.

“I find your lack of belief in me troubling.” Doomfist stands proudly above Genji’s crumpled form.

Elaina watches with bated breath. 

_He won’t kill him right? Amelie didn’t kill Lena when they fought at King’s Row._

Doomfist reaches down, taking Genji’s head in his massive hand. He easily lifts him off the ground, Genji kicking at his opponent’s chest vainly.

The fist squeezes and Genji drops the blade, clawing at its mechanical fingers with his remaining hand.

“History will forget you,” Doomfist’s voice rumbles.

Energy surges through Elaina, her legs whip out in front of her. Running full sprint she snatches Ryu Ichimonji off the ground, determined to slay this man threatening her life partner.

The hilt, so tight in her grip, now vibrates. Bright veins travel up the length of the blade, changing the edge from green to purple. She screams upon reaching Doomfist’s towering form, bringing the blade from a low position to a high one, aiming for the exposed skin of his back. 

Seeing her before she reaches him, Doomfist jumps back, dodging the attack. He still holds Genji in his fist, but the pressure may have lessened as he no longer kicks out.

The tip of the odachi just grazes the Doomfist’s elbow. This contact is enough to engage the biotic grasp, and his life force now flows from his body, through Ryu Ichimonji, and into Elaina. 

Doomfist twitches, dropping Genji to the floor in surprise. His fractured helmet shatters upon the concrete as his body makes contact.

Elaina maintains the grasp, stepping defensively over Genji’s body. Strangely, the memories that flood her do not cloud her hyper active vision, instead they float harmlessly in the back of her subconscious.

“Overconfidence is a flimsy shield,” Elaina hisses at him, ready to strike again.

“Ha!” Doomfist turns back to her, still wincing from the headache she is giving him. “Your talent is wasted upon the weak.”

Elaina recoils in confusion. It almost sounds like this man knows of her.

In her break of concentration, Doomfist back hands her. Luckily he uses his own flesh instead of the demon possessing his right arm, but the blow still sends her tumbling across the ground.

Elaina recovers quickly, running back over to Genji’s side.

“You should stay down,” Doomfist instructs her. He reaches for Genji again, who now lies unconscious.

A familiar whistle whips past her ear.

The arrow takes Doomfist in the ribs, just under his augmented arm. He howls in pain, stumbling back.

Elaina slides down next to Genji, attempting to lift his heavy body and returning the wakizashi to its sheath. _Should have done more weight training,_ she thinks to herself.

“My arrows find their mark,” the archer calls down.

Elaina looks up, seeing Hanzo atop the walkway covering the supply bay.

“Taken a side, have you?” Doomfist says. He brings his hand to his ear. “I have found the one you seek. To me.”

The monster of a man takes a deep breath and yanks the arrow from his body, snapping it in his grip before casting it aside.

Elaina is still desperately trying to move as far away from the threat as possible, all the while knowing she will be unsuccessful. Feet slip against the concrete and she breathes heavily from the strain. Finally accepting her incompetence, she stops, and sits down, Genji’s head on her lap. Her eyes close, and she places her left hand on Genji’s chest, recycling Doomfist’s stolen energy into him.

Genji groans, coughing out a breath. His eyes flutter open, clouded from heavy fatigue. Blood flows from the large gash on the side of his head, where the broken helmet has cut into him.

“Elaina, no,” he reaches up to her, hand shaking. “Why are you here?”

“Genji,” Elaina quickly calls to him, taking the hand. Although relieved at his consciousness, her sense of haste outweighs the moment of respite. “We need to move, but I can’t carry you.”

Genji looks from her to the environment. Doomfist notices Genji stirring and moves back toward them.

Genji struggles in Elaina’s grip, attempting to stand.

The arrows whistle towards his proceeding figure, Doomfist cocks his head to see them, then swiftly disposes of the threat by knocking them aside with his metal arm.

“Onii-san?!” Genji calls out, looking into the sun, trying to find him. “When...?”

Doomfist now stands above them again. Elaina holds Genji tighter against her, hoping to look less threatening.

“Please,” Elaina looks up at him. “How can you preach of human evolution, yet threaten to exterminate those strong enough to produce the next generation?”

Doomfist chuckles and squats down to look her in the eye.

Elaina can feel Genji’s impulse to lash out at the man and covers his eyes with her hand. 

“Gakusei!” Genji pulls at her wrist, but with his sapped strength he fails to succeed.

“You’re just like her.” His dark eyes stare into her knowingly.

Elaina refuses to think of her. To be consumed by that fear again. “We are nothing alike.”

“We will see.” He threatens, now standing to face Hanzo across the courtyard.

Just as he is about to leave he looks back down at them. “I do not trust you to not interfere, aṣoju.”

Doomfist lifts his leg, foot hovering above Genji. He stomps down on the left leg’s knee joint, snapping the lower half off. The mechanical calf and foot cartwheel away as Genji howls in pain, reaching down impulsively to his leg.

“Ah!” Elaina’s hand reaches out vainly towards Genji's second lost appendage.

Doomfist chuckles again, then flies up into the air with force of a rising uppercut.

Elaina looks down at Genji, the conflict between Hanzo and Doomfist bounces on the walls, slowly receding. 

“Why are you even allowed to feel that pain?” Elaina pulls Genji back away from his broken leg, hugging him.

A cold sweat breaks out over his forehead, suggesting shock. “It’s alright,” he sighs, leaning back against her. “It was just the nerve severing. It hurts no longer.”

Elaina’s not so sure that this is true. But more importantly, moving him will now prove a great task.

“I hate to ask it of you Sensei, but…”

“If you can get me on my leg, I can support most of my own weight,” Genji reads her mind.

Elaina nods. She slides out from under him and gets him standing. Genji's remaining arm holds Elaina across the shoulders. Witnessing the broken pieces of his body break Elaina's heart, but assurance swells proudly within her, knowing that he may well be dead had she not chosen to interfere.

“I regret leaving your room,” Genji admits as they hop along. There’s no color left in his face, and his once bright eyes appear grey.

“Regret?” Elaina says playfully. “That’s so uncharacteristic of you.”

The jest doesn’t change his countenance as she had hoped it would.

“ _Sodesu ka_?” he sighs.

“Let’s just go back there now,” she offers.

“I have failed as an Overwatch agent,” he claims sadly. “And I have failed you...”

Elaina takes her eyes off the path ahead of them to look at him. They stand before the hallway back up to the east wing. The huge servers in the room hum loudly and give off so much heat the room almost feels like a sauna.

“As a man,” he finishes.

“Genji,” Elaina sighs, she turns his face towards hers. “Know that I do not see you that way. You have succeeded as an Overwatch agent by protecting the things that you believe in.”

Genji doesn’t meet her eyes and does not seem convinced by her.

“Terribly sorry to interrupt you Elaina,” a voice calls to them from behind. The sound sends chills up Elaina’s spine. 

_Don’t turn. Do not look._

Genji doesn't share in her restrictions toward the voice and turns his head back to look. Elaina starts to shake.

“Elaina,” Genji whispers urgently in her ear, coming alive next to her.

“N-no Sensei,” she chokes out, closing her eyes. “I-I can’t…”

“You must.”

Elaina tries to steady her breathing, then turns to face her, Genji at her side.

Moira silhouettes the doorway to the courtyard.

Tall, sinister, and polite, Moira evokes a response within Elaina comparable to no other. The mistress of her torture, she has inflicted pain and involuntary augmentation upon Elaina in pursuit of groud breaking medical technology.

Her previous mentor bows to the two of them, one hand giving a flourish at her waist.

“You seem in need of aid.” Moira comes up from the bow. Her sharp face smirks ruthlessly at Genji.

Elaina can’t speak. Her throat has constricted so much so that she has trouble breathing and keeps swallowing to try and get it to move again. 

Genji leans into her, his lips tickle her ear.

“She is the demon inside you, the monster of your past,” he tells her. “Just another step on the path to free your mind.”

“So nice to see you are well,” Moira stands erect, hands behind her back. “A shame we did not stay in contact.”

“Waga kokoro meikyōshisui,” Genji whispers again, his eyes never leaving Moira’s. “Breathe Gakusei.”

“I see you’ve made some new friends. Genji, what are you going on about? Looks to be you’ve tainted my student.”

“Do not let her manipulate you,” Genji warns Elaina.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Moira explains. “Didn’t find you in Seattle.”

Elaina shakes, thinking of opening her front door to Moira. “Yosef…” she whispers to herself.

“Luckily your brother knew where you’d gone,” Moira’s smirk extends into a toothy smile. “It is not my preference to see to matters personally, but I do see them done.”

Elaina breathing quickens, heart almost pounding through her chest.

“ _Senri no michi mo, hito ashi zutsu hakobunari,_ ” Genji takes her left hand and leads it to his wakizashi. “Now, Gakusei.”

Elaina yanks the blade from behind her, transferring it to her right hand. She dashes straight for Moira, charging the blade with biotic grasp. 

Still blinded by fear, the tunnel vision makes her dizzy. 

Moira makes no indication of moving, but does raise a single eyebrow.

Elaina thrusts the blade up at her face, whose smile is never wavering.

 _Please._ Elaina begs herself. _Please be strong enough._

Just before the point of contact, Elaina’s arms go numb, the blade drops from her grip, Moira’s face but a foot from her own.

Elaina takes a step back, dread consuming her.

“No!” Genji calls to her. Now unsupported, he lays upon the ground, perched up on his left arm.

Moira takes a step towards her.

Elaina is a chained skeleton. Bones locked in place, brittle to the point of snapping if she moves. Her subconscious screams in her head, too loud to hear, as the figure from her nightmares walks up to her.

“My dear,” Moira takes her hands and wraps them lovingly around Elaina’s head, holding it against her. “Come with me. Together we may achieve that which no others can. Don’t you know how special you are?”

“No! Gakusei!” Genji calls to her again. “ _Watashi ni kite, watashi no ai_! Elaina!”

_Who’s that? Where am I?_

“Remember what they did to Amelie?!”

_Who’s Amelie?_

“She will take you from me!”

Elaina’s once panicking body regresses to a numb state.

“Are you finished?” Moira barks down at Genji. “Always with a touch of the dramatic, aren’t you Genji?”

_Genji?_

A clawed finger scrapes down the side of Elaina’s face. The feeling sparks a chill through her, reigniting her body.

Elaina’s arms thrust out at Moira, tumbling backwards to get away.

“Gakusei,” Genji reaches for her.

Elaina takes a deep breath. “I-I’m sorry Sensei.” She crawls towards him, shaky hand outstretched.

“ _Gan mhaith_ ,” Moira curses. “I was hoping you had remained conditioned. No matter.”

“What d-do I do Sensei?” Elaina reaches him, holding his hand tight, crying freely.

Genji takes her hand, pulling her into him. “ _Tatakai_. Fight, my student. You must.”

“B-but…” Elaina’s shaking won’t bring her to her feet, let alone hold a blade. "I just…"

“You must. If not for yourself,” Genji moves to her ear again. “Then for me. I don’t have the strength to live without you.”

Elaina covers her sobbing mouth with a hand. Then nods. Genji releases her again.

Elaina picks herself up. Then the wakizashi. She blinks fiercely, trying to clear her vision of tears.

“Still got some fight in you?" Moira jests. “Good thing he doesn’t.”

Her form vanishes and Elaina looks around wildly for her reappearance. 

“I’m not interested in fighting you, Elaina.” The voice sounds behind her. “Let’s make a deal.”

Elaina whips around to find Genji choked in Moira’s grasp, sharp nails centimeters from his face.

Elaina is frozen once again, consciously having to remind herself to breathe.

“Come with me, and I’ll let him live,” Moira instructs.

“Sensei…” Elaina whispers, eyes darting between the two of them.

“Do not listen to her,” Genji pleads. “If you leave now, we will never be together again.”

“But she… I can’t stop her from killing you,” Elaina’s body wavers between collapsing and running full sprint back to him.

“That’s right, my child,” Moira claws his face threateningly, nails slowly brightening with purple energy.

“Okay!” Elaina consents, lowering the blade again. “I will go with you.”

“No! Elaina!” Genji cries out, reaching with a phantom arm.

“Good,” Moira cooes.

Darkness shrouds his vision as his consciousness is taken from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aṣoju: agent  
> Sodesu ka?: Is that so?  
> Senri no michi mo, hito ashi zutsu hakobunari: The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step  
> Watashi ni kite, watashi no ai: Come to me, my love  
> Gan mhaith: Shit  
> Tatakai: Fight


	33. Epilogue

Genji’s consciousness returns to him before his eyes open. He relives the last ten minutes of his waking life torturously. The left hand comes to his face, a makeshift mask to hide from reality.

"Genji?" A delicate voice calls from across the room. Loud heels on the hard floor and she's at his side immediately. "How do you feel?"

_Feel._

Instead of answering, he sits up, the hand falling from his face. To his surprise, both legs are completely intact, but glancing over to the right, his synthetic arm is still missing.

"The compound has been secured," Angela reassures him. "You were the one who took the most damage. Winston has some minor gunshot damage, but otherwise the team is whole."

_Damage._

"Will you tell me what happened to you?" She asks wearily. "I know you prefer not to speak of such things but if we are to-"

"Angela," he cuts her off, holding up his hand.

Angela recedes into herself. Genji swallows, hoping his self-loathing doesn’t come out as retaliation.

"Where is she?" his voice is so low, almost a whisper.

Her eyes quickly look away from him. "I'm sorry, Genji. I do not know. But if you tell me what happened, we will have a better idea of how to find her,” she speaks fast, glazing over the issue to quickly recommend a solution.

_Find._

Genji swings his legs off the hospital bed, grateful for his ability to walk at least. Looking about the room, he is unable to locate either Ryu Ichimonji or his wakizashi so instead makes for the door.

"Wait! Haven't you been listening? Tell me what happened! We can look for her together!"

_Together._

“Do not pretend you care for her,” he says quietly, tone suggesting fragility. “You never have.”

Angela twitches. “I care for you.”

“Me,” he hisses, spite mixing with the spit. “My health. My wellbeing. My sanity. I’m just a fucking medical investment to you.”

“Genji,” Angela reaches out towards his shoulder.

"Do not touch me," his eyes burn into her.

Her hands snap back as if slapped.

He continues his motion towards the door.

"Your brother is here," she tries.

At the threshold he stops, considering, then proceeds outside, his fast walk evolves into running, then into a full sprint. Genji growls, feeling the anger bubble higher inside of him. A rage so carefully caged for years. 

_What now?_

He clumsily climbs the side of one of the watchpoint buildings.

_Go after her._

Genji stands shaking atop the building, trying to breathe, focusing on the feeling of the wind against his skin.

_I can’t fight with one arm. Helmet… broken. Ryu Ichimonji… lost._

Taking one more deep breath, he sits. 

_Breathe. Take in the gentle flow of the wind. Exhale a typhoon._

Eyes close.

_I told her, I told her that this would happen to me. Every piece, every carefully stitched thread, torn, misplaced. My whole honorable being subjected to the chaos inside me, leaving nothing but scraps of my humanity. I feel nothing but a scorching rage… my five years of my mediation squandered. Why? When did I become so dependent on her?_

_Master… help me. I am lost in the dark. Once accepting my blindness for compassion, she has given me sight. And now, I cannot live without it. Never should I have become so attached._

“Hiding, are you?”

Ripples on the calming water of his mind whip up the tsunami again.

Genji can hear his footsteps close in and considers lashing out at him. Another fight may help clear his mind.

“Stop acting like a child and return to your place.”

He’s on his feet instantly, hand reaching for the blade that isn’t there. “Do not lecture me.”

“Hmph,” Hanzo scowls at him.

The brothers stand across from each other, eyes saying more than words.

“Why are you even here?” 

Hanzo snorts. “If I had known you did not wish for liberation from Talon, I wouldn’t have come.”

_What a backwards way of asking for thanks._

Genji glares at him, then walks to the edge of the building in exit. 

“Genji,” Hanzo calls to him. “You offered me salvation before. Have you cast that decision aside?”

_Not now. I can’t think clearly. Leave me alone._

“They took her,” Hanzo remarks.

The statement gives him pause and he looks back over his shoulder at him.

“Your _kanojo_. I heard the angel woman speak of it.”

“Yes,” Genji admits through his teeth.

“She is your anchor then?”

_Anchor?_

“May I assist you… In her rescue?”

Turning his body back towards his brother, Genji regards his countenance.

_You do not do things for others. Only for yourself. It has always been this way._

_Is this your way of mending our broken bond? To restore your honor?_

_How dare you take advantage of my vulnerable position._

_What does he want in return?_

_No, I will not return to the Shimadas. Never will I take up their namesake again._

_He is attempting to right his own wrong, he will not ask for recompense._

_Do not turn him away. This is the final opportunity. After a supposed failure in Nihon… fate has granted you belated success._

“I am unable to seek her out.”

“Why?”

His hand hovers over the space where his right arm should be.

“Didn’t these people build you? They cannot do it again?”

“I was not built!” 

Hanzo doesn’t even flinch at the outburst. “What should I call it then?”

He regathers his composure with a breath. “I will not speak of it to you. Call it nothing.”

Genji hops off the building, rolling on the ground to cushion the fall. After walking a short way, another calls out to him.

“Um… Genji?”

Rubbing his hand hard over his face, he turns to address her.

Tracer stands in a nearby doorway, clearly very wary of him. “We are gathering in the war room to discuss the attack. Will you come?”

_I have nothing to say about it. I clearly lost to the Doomfist. What more do they need to know?_

_Tell them about her. Beg them to help you save Elaina._

_Find a solution through them to regain your right arm, with it you will be able to go after her._

_I don’t want to see them. To see their pitying faces. I could spit, it makes me so livid._

“I am not so sure it would be wise,” he tells her.

Tracer scratches her cheek absently. “Genji… Will you please share what happened with us? You aren’t the only one concerned for Elaina.”

_Elaina._

He closes his eyes. After a moment his head twitches and he looks at Tracer again.

“V-very well.” He swallows the thick saliva at the back of his throat.

Walking to her side, he motions for her to lead the way.

“Genji,” she hesitates, then looks up at him.

He tries his best not to scowl. “What is it?”

“May I hug you?”

_Do not touch me. It will bring her to me. In a way I cannot handle._

_Share your despair. She actually understands. She actually cares. Accept her charity. Harmonize with her._

“I…” His breathing becomes irregular. “I do not believe I would take it well.”

Tracer nods and walks swiftly into the hall.

The two of them are the last to enter the war room. The team is crowded around the five screens serving as surveillance monitors.

“And then… Yeah, see? Isn’t she just amazing?” Winston speaks to Angela at his side.

Genji follows the tip of Winston’s finger to one of the screens. On it shows the Talon sniper Widowmaker positioned in one of the tall towers surrounding the plaza outside the war room. The camera shifts from the sniper to… The same sniper?

Across the way, at the war room’s top exit, is an exact replica of Widowmaker, going head to head with her.

“Stunning!” Angela declares.

“Is that you Echo?!” Tracer runs up to them to watch as well.

The angelic robot giggles. “As my first real hostile encounter, it worked out better than I thought!”

_I did not come here for this. To be shamed in front of this amateur._

“Genji,” Angela sees him out of the corner of her eye when turning to Tracer.

_There it is. The pity._

_Now… the fury, yes._

_I can almost hear Soba growling._

He is incapable of controlling the glower that comes to his face and she immediately recoils. Winston now turns too.

“Ah Genji, thank you for joining us. Now that we are all here, let’s discuss the attack.”

_All here? Choose your words more carefully._

Winston, Angela, Tracer, and Echo move from the monitors to the main table of the war room and sit down. Reinhardt and Brigette are not present, he notices but doesn’t care enough to ask. Genji does not sit, instead leans against the wall near the doorway.

“First, let’s pool our experiences of the infiltration together to discover what their purpose here was.”

A general nod of consent travels from person to person.

“I will begin,” Winston says. “Reaper, with Widowmaker as his support, came once again to my office. This time, they did not look to steal information, but instead, metal.”

“Metal? Like a material?” Angela asks.

“Yes, one I took from the moon. It possesses special gravitational properties and was used in my escape pod. I have also used it to assist with my jetpack-like movement.”

“How did they know that you had such a thing?”

“I have a suspicion. As many of you may know already, the moon was a station of research harbouring many focuses. One of which was the effects of gravity. Talon may be in possession of one of the scientists from this focus. Or, it may have been a lucky guess.”

Genji shakes with impatience against the wall, wishing his thoughts wouldn’t splay on his face like Ela-

“I was with you here,” Tracer states, interrupting his thoughts. “So I don’t have any further information on their purpose. I was first encountered by Moira, who did not give any insight into her reason for infiltrating.”

Winston nods.

“I was here as well,” Echo says. “My analysis of their behavior suggests that they may have come to extradite us.”

The discussion quiets.

“Genji,” Winston sighs, “will you tell us more about Elaina’s abduction?”

“She was taken, what more is there to know?” Genji says frigidly, looking towards the door.

“Okay,” Angela says sedately. “Do you know why she was taken?”

_Because I failed. I lost, and she has paid the price._

“I care not for opinions of why, only how to remedy it. May I request assistance in the rebuilding of my arm?”

“But the reason could help us determine what they plan to do with her,” Echo says thoughtlessly and the table winces at her words.

_You think it matters what their agenda is? Does it really make a difference? I will reclaim her, no matter how they damage her._

Genji takes a deep breath to speak clearly. “As I have said, I am not interested in discussing their motives.” His voice grows steadily louder until he’s outright yelling. “You all sat here around a piece of worthless metal while I…!”

_Failed._

“How could you not consider the safety of your people, your staff, over assets?” he finishes, pointing vaguely towards where he and Elaina fought near the server room.

“Genji please!” Winston stands with his hands out. “Comms were down, surveillance down, Athena offline, we had no idea how many of them were here or where they were!”

_Yeah sure. The only one who came to help was…_

Turning quickly from them, he makes for the door. “I’ll find my own way.”

“Wait!” Angela calls after him. “Genji stop, please!”

Genji’s footsteps pick up in pace, wondering if he’s left already. Past the supply bay, he looks up at the top of the building where he had left him. 

“Brother!” he shouts, seeing the gold scarf whip in the wind.

Hanzo’s stoic face peaks over the edge.

“Why?” he calls up to it. “Why do you wish to help me? What’s your gain?”

The face disappears again.

_Must I climb up there again?_

The wall stands smooth and challenging in front of him. Without the assistance of his right arm, his upper body has trouble staying close enough to the wall without falling backward.

He looks to his left, attention focusing on the doorway Tracer had come from. Looking back up, Hanzo still does not resurface.

_Privacy, perhaps?_

An angry breath flies from flared nostrils. Walking back to the rock wall across from the building his brother is perched on, Genji tries to muster as much momentum as possible to assist in scaling the surface.

With the assistance of an exterior lamp, he finds himself back atop the building facing Hanzo. The man sits on his forelegs, bow resting to his left. On his right side is…

“You repossessed my blades,” Genji looks at the pair with both admiration and regret.

Hanzo only nods.

Uncomfortable with simply approaching to reclaim his weapons, Genji sits cross legged about ten feet in front of his brother. 

_Very well. I will wait. For as long as it takes._


End file.
